Learn to Love
by dogsrock101
Summary: Jasmine has never trusted people easily. Raven has always pushed people away. When these two collide, disaster is bound to occur. Raven finds himself confused and helpless, not knowing what is true and what is not. Jasmine finds herself far past her comfort zone and becomes conflicted with who she is and who she once was. Together, they make the biggest mess of all: love.
1. Chapter 1

_I finally get to publish this! :D I've been meaning to start working on it for a while now...but it's summer vacation now so I have all day!_

_So, like I said, this is a rewrite of "Thawing a Cold Heart". Jasmine's personality and past changes quite a lot in this story, just saying if you expect her to be the same._

_Enjoy! _

* * *

><p>"Sorry milord, but it was Lord Uther's orders..." Oswin said, somewhat apologetically as he bowed his head.<p>

Hector huffed angrily, crossing his arms across his armored chest. "I knew that he couldn't trust me! As if Matthew here wasn't enough!" he said and before Matthew could respond, a high-pitched and extremely annoying voice came into the conversation.

"Don't forget about me!" Serra said as she skipped toward them with a smile, causing Oswin to mumble something underneath his breath.

"Serra!" Hector groaned, putting a hand to his face. "What are you doing here?"  
>"Lord Uther wanted me to come too!"<p>

"He just likes to torture me, doesn't he?"

"Oh don't be shy now, Lord Hector! You shouldn't talk to your fiancé like that!"

"How many times must I tell you? You and I are NOT getting married!"

"There's no need to be so embarrassed!"  
>"Serra, I-"<p>

"Ssh!" Matthew hissed, putting his index finger to his lips. "I hear something," he whispered before quickly running off and before Hector could even comprehend what was going on, Matthew came back. "There's a fight up ahead!" he said and Hector grinned, picking up his axe and shouldering it.

"We can't just sit here and wait then, can we?"

* * *

><p>Hector groaned as he swung his axe around, chopping off his opponent's head. "I need a little help over here!" he shouted, glancing over his shoulder as Oswin stuck a lance in his opponent.<p>

"I'm coming, milord!" he said but before he could go help him, he got attacked by a few members of the enemy, causing Hector to groan again. As he turned back around, his eyes widened once realizing that his opponent had gotten up and was now flying through the air, his sword aimed toward his head. Hector didn't have enough time to react and as he shut his eyes, he heard a clang and then an ear-piercing scream. He opened his eyes to find his foe on the ground in a pool of blood, and standing beside the corpse was Oswin, breathing heavily.

"Lord Hector!" he exclaimed, looking over at him worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine..."

"Good...now be more careful next time!" he said as another foe came flying by and Hector swung his axe, causing Oswin to take a step back, barely avoiding the axe as it cut off the opponent's head.

"Matthew, come help!" Oswin shouted as he too started to fight another person.

"Sorry, no can do!" Matthew shouted from behind, causing Hector and Oswin to look back at him. He grinned widely. "Tactician's orders," he said, pointing a thumb at a girl that appeared to be around eighteen years old who stood beside him, Serra chattering beside her.

Hector furrowed his eyebrows. "What, a tactician? I don't remember hiring a tactician!"

"Take a step back!" the girl shouted suddenly and Hector quickly obliged, looking back toward his opponent, who just landed in front of him. "Matthew, you can go help a little now. Serra, stay back!" she ordered and Matthew, slyly grinning, quickly ran toward Hector and Oswin, unsheathing his daggers.

"Aww I can go help too!" Serra whined, starting to walk toward the commotion, causing the tactician to yelp.

"No! Serra, you come back here!" she shouted, and though she was at a distance to be able to pull the cleric back, she didn't. Letting out a wordless growl, she quickly called Matthew back and had him guard her. "You two, blue head and knight! Advance forward, but get farther from each other!" she said and the two hesitantly obliged, only after Matthew told them to trust her.

"Straighten your posture, boy!" Marcus snapped at Lowen, who quickly obliged as he attempted to strike his opponent, but missed.

"Is that Hector?" Eliwood asked, slightly tilting his head to the left, mostly talking to himself as he noticed a blue headed person nearby.

"Watch out, milord!" Marcus shouted and Eliwood let out a yelp once noticing an enemy advancing toward him. He slashed forward but the enemy easily dodged, and even bothered to snort as he slashed Eliwood's leg, who let out a cry and dropped down to his knees. Before the foe could further harm Eliwood, Marcus quickly put his lance through his chest. The enemy screamed before falling onto the ground and Marcus quickly helped Eliwood onto his horse.

"Are you alright, milord?"  
>"Yes, of course," Eliwood said, smiling weakly, his voice coming out strained.<p>

Marcus frowned worriedly. "I believe I might have a vulnery..." he mumbled, looking through his pouch.

"Eliwood!" Hector shouted and Eliwood looked up, a grin flashing across his face once recognizing the blue headed lord.

"Hector, is really it you?" he said and he got down from the horse, only to fall flat on the ground, yelping.

"Eliwood!" Hector shouted, his grin slipping off his face and he started to run off toward his friend despite the tactician's orders.

"Wait! Hold your ground!" she shouted but he ignored her, running toward his friend, dropping his axe, causing the tactician to put her hand to her face and groan. "Matthew, go protect him, and you, knight, protect Serra," she said and the two nodded and did as they were told.

"Watch out, young master!" Matthew shouted as he ran toward him, noticing the last of the enemy running toward Hector from behind, his sword high up in the air.

"Huh?" Hector said as he turned around and as he did, the sword collided with his armor.

"Die!" the foe shouted as he brought his sword up to slash Hector's head, but he dropped to the ground with a scream and Hector let out a deep breath, noticing an arrow poking out from the man's chest.

"Whew, that was close!" a girl with green braids said, smiling as she wiped her forehead with her palm.

"Lord Hector!" Oswin boomed angrily, dragging Hector's axe with him. "That was a very dangerous thing to do! You could've been killed!"  
>Hector snorted. "Oh c'mon, I would've been fine."<p>

"No, you wouldn't have! You need to be more careful, Hector!" Eliwood scolded as he walked toward him.

Hector rolled his eyes. "What's the fun in that? Oh and are you okay? I saw you fall from the horse..."

Eliwood sighed, smiling as he shook his head. "Yes I'm fine Marcus had a vulnery...what are you doing here anyway?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I've come to help you find your father!" the blue headed lord said, grinning down at his friend.

"This is a dangerous journey, Hector. It's not a fun little game. It's serious."

"I know, but you're my best friend! We're going to find your old man and get him back!" Hector said in a determined voice.

Eliwood chuckled. "I guess your mind's set. I hope you know what you're in for."

"I know what I'm doing!"

"Half the time you're not," Matthew said and snickered, causing Hector to glare at him.

"Perhaps you should introduce me to him, Hector," Eliwood said, smiling at Matthew.

"Lord Hector, you need to introduce me first!" Serra squealed as she ran toward the group, the tactician following hesitantly.

Hector rolled his eyes. "This is Serra, she's a cleric, believe it or not."

Serra giggled, twirling a pigtail. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Eliwood."

"The pleasure is mine," he said, smiling warmly at her.

"That's Matthew. He does a lot of...sneaking around," Hector said, gesturing toward the spy.

"Milord," Matthew said and snickered a bit as he bowed.

"Sneaking...around..." Eliwood mumbled. "That sounds like a job of a thief," he said, glancing over at Hector and Matthew only smirked in response as he straightened up.

"Don't worry about it. So anyways, I've heard about this group from Bern that's been sneaking around in Lycia."

"Oh!" Eliwood said, slamming his fist against his palm. "I just remembered! One of the men that attacked us said that he'd be watching me...that someone needed me dead."

"That's not good..." Hector mumbled, putting a gloved finger to his chin. "Even more the reason for me to come, huh?"

Eliwood chuckled and nodded. "I suppose so...and Jasmine, is that you?" he asked, glancing over at the tactician, who stood around awkwardly by the group, glancing around at everyone around her warily.

"Lord Eliwood," she said, looking over at him and smiling slightly. "It's been awhile," she said and Hector turned around, getting his first good look of the tactician. She looked to be around eighteen years old, had brown corkscrew curls that fell to her chest, she wore a light blue shirt, a lavender skirt, and light brown boots. She had a slender yet softly curved nose, baby blue eyes, and a long scar that came from her right cheek, right by her ear, and it cut a little through the side of her bottom lip, ending at her chin.

"It sure has been awhile! How've you been?"

"I've been good. How are you?" she answered, her eyes continuing to flick back and forth at the people near her. She paused for a moment, her eyes widening at Dorcas, who smiled and nodded at her.

"I'm good as well!...what are you doing here?" he asked, continuing to smile as he looked at her, causing her to shrug slightly.

"I was just walking by and decided to help out in this little battle," she said, looking back at the redhead.

"I know!" Serra shrieked, jumping up and down in excitement. "You should join us!"

"Serra!" Hector huffed, glaring down at the cleric. "You can't just go around making decisions like that!"

"Actually," Eliwood said thoughtfully, putting an index finger to his chin. "I think it's a good idea."

Hector raised his eyebrows as Serra grinned widely and Hector grabbed Eliwood's shoulders. "We need to talk this out first," he said and glanced over at Jasmine.

"Oh, uh, can you wait for a moment Jasmine?" Eliwood asked her politely and she nodded as they walked a little further away so she couldn't hear.

"We barely know her! For all we know she could be a mass murderer!" Hector hissed, throwing his hands up in exaggeration.

Eliwood laughed. "She's not a mass murderer, Hector. She accompanied Lyndis to Caelin and if I may say so myself, you might as well be dead right now if she hadn't come along."

Hector crossed his arms across his armored chest, scowling. "I could've handled that fight perfectly well on my own."

"Oh PLEASE, Lord Hector," Serra chirped. "What would you have done without ME?"

"I would have perfect hearing, that's for sure."

"You're so mean!"

"What if this girl's as loud as Serra?"

"She's not, young master," Matthew said in a matter of a fact tone. "She's quite nice, actually, though she didn't talk to me much..." he trailed off.

"What of her records?" Hector whispered, leaning in closer and flickering his eyes toward Jasmine warily. She was talking to Dorcas, smiling and nodding as he talked.

"They're clean as far as I know it. I didn't get that much information on her, however."

"Why is that?"

"I couldn't find any diaries or anything! Even though I tried to talk it out of her, rather smoothly as always, she wouldn't tell me anything!" he huffed, looking rather frustrated. "I usually get information pretty easily...but she's a tough egg to crack."

Hector frowned and looked back at Eliwood. "See? I don't know if we should really trust her."

Eliwood sighed. "I trust her, and that's more than enough. Just give her a chance. What's there to lose?"

"My money," Hector grumbled and Matthew snickered.

"Umm...if you guys are done I think I'll get going," Jasmine said from behind, causing everyone to turn around and look at her.

Hector mumbled something underneath his breath before looking down at her. "Would you like to work for me?" he asked and she blinked up at him a few times before responding.

"...work for you...as a tactician?"

"Yes, as a tactician."

"Uh...I don't know..." she said, shrugging.

"Please, Jasmine? It'll mean a lot to me!" Eliwood said with begging eyes and a warm smile, causing her to look at him before looking back up at Hector.

"...okay," she said a bit hesitantly, though she managed to smile.

"Terrific! Now we head for the castle!"

Hector grinned widely. "Let's get a move on."

* * *

><p>Hector huffed in frustration as he threw the sticks down at the ground, crossing his arms across his chest with furrowed eyebrows. "I can't make a fire!"<p>

"Here, let me try," Eliwood said as he put the stick in the larger piece of wood and started to spin the stick between his hands. After a few moments he stopped, sighing heavily as he put the stick down, frowning.

"Allow me, milord," Marcus said as he walked up to the lords and he bent down on his knee, taking the stick between his palms. With speed that was thought to be impossible, he spun the stick between his palms and within a few seconds, sparks began to fly off and onto the dead leaves and sticks that were the base of the fire. More sparks flew off and a small fire began to form. "Rebecca, bring me some more firewood!" he ordered and the archer quickly ran off. She returned in a few moments and handed him the firewood, which he threw in the pit of the fire, causing it to grow. Marcus took a few steps back and he sat on a log, looking around his surroundings.

"Now all we have to do is worry about dinner," Hector grumbled.

Rebecca grinned widely. "No worries, Lord Hector! I do some cooking myself and I've been cooking for our group before you came. Would you like me to cook some stew? Hmm...that might be a little hard since we don't have many ingredients. Will rabbit do? Is there anything in particular you want me to cook?"

"I don't care what it is, as long as it's good!" he said, grinning up at her and she smiled.

"Yes, whatever works for you, Rebecca, we'll eat," Eliwood said, smiling up at her and she nodded before happily skipping off to go hunt some rabbits.

"Lord Hector!" Serra shrieked as she stomped toward him, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Do you expect me to sleep in THAT?" she exclaimed, pointing at the blue tent behind her.

"Of course."

"I REFUSE! I deserve to sleep in a bed, in a hotel!"

"We're all sleeping in tents from now on, Serra. You just have to get used to it."

She gaped at him for a moment. "But I'm your fiancé! I need much more than a blanket in a tent!"

"Your fiancé?" Eliwood repeated with wide eyes, looking from Serra to Hector. "You never told me that you were engaged!"

Hector groaned and Serra giggled at his response. "We are NOT engaged. She just says that to annoy me!"

"Oh come now Lord Hector, you know that you love me! I mean really, who DOESN'T love me? I'm so beautiful and nice it's impossible to hate me!" she said, flipping one of her pink pigtails.

"Beautiful and nice?" Hector repeated with raised eyebrows, snorting.

"Yes, beautiful, nice, kind, caring, loving, smart-"  
>"That's enough!" Hector snapped. "We all know that you are NONE of those things!"<p>

Serra gasped and Eliwood scolded him. "Hector, that is a very rude thing to say!"

"It's the truth."

"It's okay, Lord Eliwood. Lord Hector is obviously too distracted and embarrassed by my beauty that he can only lie to cover up his feelings."

"That most definitely is NOT true."

"It is too! There's no reason to be so embarrassed!"  
>"I'm not embarrassed!"<p>

"Ah, those look delicious, Rebecca," Eliwood said, smoothly making his way out of the conversation, glancing over at Rebecca who held a few dead rabbits in her hand and Jasmine held a large pot of water as she walked beside her.

"Why thank you, Lord Eliwood!" she said cheerfully as Jasmine gently placed the pot over the fire and Rebecca put the rabbits in.

"Please, just call me Eliwood."

"Oh yes sorry, I keep on forgetting."

"There's no reason to apologize."

"Well sorry for apologizing!" she said, grinning widely and Eliwood chuckled, all the while as Hector and Serra continued to argue with each other. Jasmine was quiet as she sat down on the grass, a bit further from the four, not quite in or out of the small circle as she looked at them warily. Eliwood, noticing this, quickly ushered her closely and she obliged.

"Is dinner ready yet?" Matthew called out as he walked toward them, Oswin following.

"Almost!" Rebecca said as she drew the rabbits out of the boiling water, giving each one a quick shake before putting them on a cutting board, one at a time. "It's too bad that we have to cut off so much of it," she said as she tossed the carcass aside, revealing the small amount of beautiful brown meat with a redd-ish pink inside, making it medium rare.

"Oooh that looks delicious, Miss. Rebecca," Oswin said as he watched her continue to cut more rabbits.

She smiled, glancing up at him. "Thank you, but you can just call me Rebecca!"

"Very well."

"Dinner's ready!" Rebecca shouted as she placed the plates which had rabbit on it on the table. The few others that were off sparring or off doing their own business made their way to the fire and the small group. Everyone got up on their own, taking some rabbit before sitting down, whether it was on the grass or on a log. They continued to talk as they ate and Rebecca sat beside Jasmine in the grass.

The archer smiled at the tactician. "Hi! I'm Rebecca, though I'm sure you already know that!"

"I'm Jasmine," she responded, glancing over at Rebecca, almost as if she was scrutinizing her.

"Yeah, I know!" she said cheerfully, not even noticing the look that Jasmine was giving her. "It's really cool how you're a tactician! Is it hard?"

"Sort of," she said, shrugging as she looked back at her plate and popped a piece of rabbit in her mouth.

"I bet it's really hard! You know, I'm still starting off as an archer and all, so don't be too mad at me if I miss a couple of enemies!"

"I won't be mad."

"Oh good! You seem nice and all so I don't want to make you made or anything, you know?"

"...me, nice?" she said, her eyebrows rising as she looked back at Rebecca, looking taken aback.

"Yeah!"

"...you barely know me."

"Yeah but you seem really nice!"

"Thanks," Jasmine said, smiling warmly before taking another bite of her rabbit.

"No problem. Wow I can't believe it's already this dark...it felt like the sun was just setting!" Rebecca said as she looked up at the vast black sky, the stars winking down at her.

Jasmine nodded as she put her plate down and took a sip of water from her canteen. "I guess it's time to go to sleep," she said, glancing around at the others, who were starting to finish eating as well.

"Oh yeah," Eliwood said as he put his plate down and glanced around at his comrades. "We're going to have to share tents. I'd say two people in one tent will do."

"Do you want to be my tent buddy?" Rebecca asked Jasmine excitedly, grinning at her.

Jasmine smiled back. "Yeah sure," she said and the two stood up, walking over to a tent and stepping in. Matthew's shrieks were heard across the camp and perhaps could even be heard from a village nearby.

"WHY DO I HAVE TO BE STUCK WITH SERRA?"

* * *

><p>"Good morning," Rebecca said as she looked up from the pot at Marcus, who smiled and nodded in return.<p>

"Good morning, Rebecca. You're up early, as usual."

"As are you, Sir Marcus," she said as Oswin walked out of the tent he now shared with Marcus and walked toward the two, smiling and nodding at them. "Would you two like breakfast already?" she asked, looking at the leftover rabbit in the pot over the fire.

"Yes, thank you," Oswin said as he walked up her and she took out the slices of rabbit, placing it on a plate and handing it to him, Marcus following. As Rebecca entertained them with her talking, Hector and Eliwood came out a bit later; the sun was already risen and shining brightly.

Eliwood looked clean cut as usual but Hector's hair was all over the place and he yawned as he took the food that Rebecca handed him. They sat on a log and quietly started to eat their food.

"Where are Marcus and Oswin?" Eliwood asked Rebecca, glancing over at her, for the two were gone.

"They're sparring."

"Ah, well that's good."

"You and I have to spar soon, Eliwood!" Hector said, grinning as he shoved a slice of rabbit in his mouth.

"Yes we do, and don't talk with your mouth full."

Hector rolled his eyes. "We're in the wild. I can do whatever I want!"

Eliwood sighed, shaking his head though he smiled. "You just wait until I tell Lord Uther."

"Ooh I'm soooo scared," he said, rolling his eyes.

Eliwood chuckled before looking up at the sky, squinting before looking back at his plate of food. "We must get going soon. Where's-" Matthew groaned as he ran out of his tent, clutching onto his head.

Hector smirked. "How was your night, Matthew?"

He shot daggers at him with his eyes as he took the food from Rebecca. "Are you trying to start a fight with me, young master?"

His smirk only grew. "Of course I'm not trying to! I'm just asking you how your night was!"

Matthew rolled his eyes as he took sat down on the grass. "It was TERRIBLE! She talked for hours and when she finally fell asleep, she kept on rolling over and snoring!"

"That's what you get for bunking with her," he said, snickering and Matthew glared at him as he took a bite of his rabbit.

"I'm HEREEE~~~" Serra shrieked as she walked toward them with a smile. "I bet you all missed me!"

Matthew groaned. "I forgot to add that she woke up before even the sun started to rise to brush her hair. BRUSH HER HAIR!"

"Well it takes a lot of work to be this beautiful," Serra said, flinging one of her pigtails as she took a plate of food from the table. Lowen, Dorcas, and Bartre also made their way to the group, grabbing plates with rabbit on it.

"You should work on trying to be more quiet than beautiful," Hector mumbled and Matthew snickered.

Serra sighed, shaking her head as she sat down on a log carefully as to not ruin her dress. "Really, Lord Hector, you need to appreciate me for what I do!"

"Hmm...do you really even do anything?"

"I save your life all the time and my beauty is something to admire!"

"Everyone's awake...other than Jasmine," Eliwood said as Rebecca sat down next to him, taking a bite of her breakfast.

"Should I go wake her up?"

"Yes I think it's for the best...we got to get going soon."

Rebecca nodded, putting her plate down and she walked over to her tent. "Jasmine?" she said as she opened up the flap, walking in to find the tactician still fast asleep. "Jasmine you need to wake up!" she said, raising her voice slightly but she got no response. "JASMINE!" she shouted but Jasmine merely rolled on her other side, her eyes still closed. Frowning, Rebecca got down on her knees and shook Jasmine's shoulders. "Jasmine!"

The tactician's eyes quickly opened and she yelped, jumping out of her blanket and took a few steps away from Rebecca. "W-what?" she said, her eyes wide and alert as she stared at Rebecca, who was slightly taken aback by her response.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or anything! Lo-err Eliwood told me to wake you up because we have to go soon."

"Okay," she said quietly though she didn't relax, still eying Rebecca warily. "I'll change and be out."

Rebecca smiled and nodded. "Okay," she said before walking out and back to the others to finish her breakfast.

"Is she awake now?" Eliwood asked as he noticed Rebecca sit back down next to him, picking up her plate.

"Yes she's changing right now...she'll be out in a few minutes."

"Good," he said, nodding before standing up. "Come on Hector; let's go start to put away the tents."

Hector groaned, looking away from Serra and Matthew, the two he had been talking to, and looked up at Eliwood with pursed lips. "Do we have to?"

"Yes."

He frowned before standing up, towering over Eliwood and they walked off to put away their tent as Jasmine walked to the small group to get her breakfast. She sat beside Matthew, though there was enough room between the two for another person to sit between them.

"You still have trouble waking up on time?" Matthew teased as he glanced over at Jasmine, who took a bite of her rabbit.

"Oh shut up, at least I got some sleep," she said, smirking slightly as she looked at him, her eyes flickering toward Serra before back at the spy.

He pursed his lips. "That's true...how about you and I switch bunk buddies?" She paused for a moment, glancing over at Rebecca warily and she almost seemed to consider the idea.

Before she could say anything, Rebecca interrupted. "No way I'm letting you do that! I'm sticking with Jasmine!" she said, grinning as she put her plate away in a bag with all of the other silverware.

"Why would you even think about switching tent buddies?" Serra said, frowning widely. "Is it because I'm too beautiful that you can't stand it? Or perhaps it's because I'm so undeniably smart?"

"It's because you're so undeniably annoying," he snapped, causing her to gasp.

"Matthew! You don't need to lie to me just to get my attention!" she said as Jasmine got up and put her plate away.

"You guys need to clean up your tents too," Hector said as he and Eliwood walked up to them. Lowen, Bartre, and Dorcas, who all had to share a tent together, glanced over at each other before standing up and walking off to their tent.

"What about Sir Marcus and Oswin? They haven't packed their tent!" Serra said.

"Actually, they already did."

"Fine, then you put away the tent, Matthew."

"Hey! Most of the stuff in there is yours! You have to at least take it all out!"

"There's no way that I'm doing that," Serra huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"If I'm packing up the tent, you have to at least take out your own stuff."

"He's right, Serra," Hector said and Serra sighed as she stood up.

"Fine, but I'm only doing this for you, Lord Hector," she said and he rolled her eyes as she walked off with Matthew to their tent.

"I guess we should pack ours up too, Jasmine," Rebecca said, looking at the blue eyed tactician, who nodded. They walked to their tent and walked inside, starting to stuff their blankets into their bags.

"Serra's very talkative," Rebecca stated, smiling, for she was trying to start up a conversation.

"Yes, she talks way too much," Jasmine grumbled, smiling slightly as she rolled up her blanket and stuffed it into her bag. She picked up a map that had somehow made its way to Rebecca's side of the tent and she walked back to her side, slightly hunched over, for the tent wasn't tall enough for either girl to stand up straight.

"She seems nice though," Rebecca commented, nodding as she put her brush into her bag.

Jasmine snorted. "You don't know the half of it," she grumbled, causing Rebecca to giggle as Jasmine yawned for a moment, stretching. She grabbed her bag and hoisted it over her shoulder before glancing over at Rebecca, who was still cleaning her stuff up. She stared at her thoughtfully for a few moments before turning back around and walking out the tent. Rebecca came out a few moments later, her bag over her shoulder, and the two started to break down the tent.

"There we go," Rebecca said, smiling as she put the folded up tent in her arms before she looked over at Jasmine. "We're all done!" she said and Jasmine nodded at her before turning around, walking back toward the now-dead fire to find that all of their comrades were already there.

"Ah, there you two are," Eliwood said, smiling warmly at the two as they made their way to the group. "We were just going to start introducing ourselves...shall I start?" he asked, glancing around and nobody objected, allowing him to continue. "I'm Eliwood of Pherae," he said, smiling and nodding at his new comrades. "I hope we can all endure this journey and make the best of it. Hector?" he said, glancing over at his friend beside him, who sighed.

"I'm Hector of Ostia...let's have some fun on this trip," he said, his arms crossed across his chest as he looked over at everybody.

"I'm Matthew, and let's just say...I have nifty fingers," he said, grinning and Eliwood looked over at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I'm Serra and I'm the best cleric of all time as well as the most beautiful!" Serra squealed, smiling as she looked over at everyone.

"I'm Bartre," a man beside Serra said. He had short brown hair and a steel headband was wrapped around his head. He wore a ripped blue tank top and some brown pants that matched his brown boots. Muscles rippled across his arms as he adjusted his axe on his shoulder. "I like to fight."

The man beside Bartre was standing up straight, his tan buckled boots matching his tan armor. He had purple hair and purple facial hair on his chin. Underneath his armor was a darker shade of tan and he wore white pants. "My name is Marcus, a proud server of Pherae," Marcus said, bowing to everybody.

Beside the Pheraen was a man who was around thirty or so with short brown hair and he wore thick orange armor. He had a stern face, making him look a bit older than he truly was. "I'm Oswin and I serve Ostia."

"Err...I'm, uh, Lowen," a boy around sixteen or so said, his teal hair covering his eyes, and a few people wondered if he could see under that mess. He wore a standard black long-sleeved shirt underneath his golden armor and grey-green pants. "I'm a Cavalier and I serve Pherae."

"I'm Dorcas," a man with brown hair said, shouldering his axe. He wore a yellow tank top and plain dark green pants, which were ripped up by the end. Instead of boots, he wore sandals that wrapped around his foot. "I'm an axe-man."

"I'm Rebecca, an archer," the green haired archer said happily, her green braids bouncing as she turned her head to look at everyone clearly. A bright lime green bandana was wrapped around her head and she wore a light brown skirt, her black top lightly covered with shoulder and chest armor. A belt was wrapped around her skirt, a mini barrel hanging on it, full of arrows.

"I'm Jasmine," the tactician said, looking at her new comrades warily, shuffling her feet.

"Well," Eliwood said, clasping his hands. "Let's get going!"

* * *

><p><em>Was it good, was it bad? Please review and tell me how it was! <em>


	2. Chapter 2

"Do you know how long it'll take to reach the castle?" Eliwood asked Jasmine and she paused for a moment before hoisting her bag off her shoulder. She unhooked the flap that closed her bag and she took out her map. She held it in her left hand, for her right was occupied by the bag and she handed it over to Eliwood, who was walking to the right of her. He opened it up, looking down at the trails.

"We're here," she said, pointing to the outskirts of Santeruz, causing Eliwood to nod. "We need to get there," she said, moving her finger by a few inches to the castle.

"Yes, and as quickly as possible…are there any shortcuts?" he asked, glancing over at her and she shrugged.

"They don't really show shortcuts on maps…and I never went to Santeruz much," she said, causing the redheaded lord to frown deeply.

"How long would it take, then, if we take this route?" he asked, trailing his finger along the thin lines on the map while Jasmine was quiet for a moment, doing the mental calculations.

"Two days, including today," she declared with a nod to herself.

"Oh, then I suppose it isn't too bad."

"It isn't," she agreed, gently taking the map back and folding it back up before stuffing it into her bag. She swung it over to her back, looping her arms through the strings, creating a backpack.

"ELIWOOD!" a booming voice came from their right and Hector walked toward them. As he got next to Eliwood, he wrapped his arm around his redheaded friend's neck and rubbed the top of his head with his knuckles. Eliwood laughed as he slipped out of Hector's grip.

"Hey, you messed up my hair!" he said and laughed, trying to put down his now ruffled and messy hair. Hector laughed but paused for a moment once noticing Jasmine walking next to Eliwood, staring straight ahead. He looked at her suspiciously and Eliwood turned around to see what Hector was looking at. "What?" he asked as he turned back around to face Hector, his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

"So, Jasmine, where are you from?" Hector called out, ignoring Eliwood and she turned her head toward him, looking slightly caught off guard.

"Uh…a small village in Ilia," she said.

"Oh, I heard that it's cold there."

"…yeah, I guess it is, I got kind of used to it," she said, shrugging but was unable to hide the amused smile that itched away at her lips.

"What?" the blue headed lord asked, looking confused at why she was smiling.

She shrugged again. "Oh I don't know, the way you said it…it was just kind of funny," she said, allowing her smile to grow a bit more and he nodded.

"You have any siblings?" he asked casually, looking innocent as she looked up at him, her smile slipping off her face and she slightly raised an eyebrow.

"No."

"How old are you?"

"…Eighteen."

"Have you ever done anything you regret? Like…oh I don't know, killing someone?" he questioned and Eliwood glared at him.

"Hector!" he hissed warningly and his friend looked down at him with a frown.

"What?" he asked, acting a bit too clueless and Jasmine raised her eyebrows before speaking.

"How old are you? Why are you so big? Why is your hair blue?" she inquired and the two lords looked over at her, Eliwood looking slightly amused whilst Hector looked slightly annoyed. "See?" she chirped, smirking slightly. "Nobody likes being interrogated."

"Fine," he grumbled. "You got me," he huffed and crossed his arms across his chest as they continued to march on.

"She got you good," Eliwood said and laughed, patting his friend on the back. He didn't say anything and Eliwood looked back at Jasmine, smiling. "You got him good."

"Thanks," she said with a small smile.

"You can stop saying that," Hector grumbled, glaring down at his redheaded friend. "You don't have to rub it in."

Eliwood chuckled good-naturedly. "Right, sorry about that," he said as Jasmine looked away from the two and looked straight ahead instead as she continued to walk along with the rest of her new comrades. She fluttered her eyes at them a few moments later, looking at them intriguingly and thoughtfully. Hector gave her the same look, well aware that she could see it, before looking back at Eliwood.

"Anyways, Eliwood, we have to spar soon! I got this great new technique…"

* * *

><p>"We spar soon, Dorcas," Bartre said as he ripped some meat off the bone and chomped on it, his mouth slightly open as he did so.<p>

"Maybe once you eat with your mouth closed," Dorcas replied quietly, looking down at his plate as he spoke. Bartre paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes at the other axe man beside him.

"What?"

"It's impolite to eat with your mouth open, I've already told you many times," he said and Bartre glared at him before ripping off some more meat with his teeth.

"Whatever," he snarled as he chewed on his food and therefore was talking with his mouth full, causing Dorcas to sigh quietly. "Fearless warriors eat like this," he said, chomping off some more of his meat and Dorcas didn't respond, only biting into his food quietly. "And I am a fearless warrior!"

"Bartre stop talking with your mouth full!" Marcus snapped from across the fire and the axe man glared over at him.

"But fearless-"

"True fearless warriors are polite and don't talk with their mouths full!" Marcus interrupted, looking over at Bartre with solemn eyes. Oswin, sitting to the left of Marcus, nodded in agreement. "Do we have to go over this everyday?"

"Yes, 'cause I'm not going to stop!"

Marcus sighed and shook his head. "By the end of this journey, I vow that I will manage to make you stop talking with your mouth full," he said and Bartre laughed loudly, some small pieces of food spitting out of his mouth.

"Ew!" Serra squealed, scooting over to the right, making a face at the fallen pieces of food by her feet. "That's gross! Keep your mouth closed, Bartre, you could've gotten some of that on me!"  
>Matthew, who was sitting on the grass and between the two logs, popped his head up and seemed delighted. "Spit some on Serra right now, Bartre!" he said quickly and Jasmine, who was sitting beside Matthew, giggled. Serra glared down at the two as she adjusted herself on the log.<p>

"Oh stop it Matthew! You're just embarrassed to admit that I'm beautiful," the pink haired cleric huffed and the thief raised an eyebrow.

"What does that have to do with _anything_?"

Serra was about to answer but paused for a moment, frowning slightly. "It just does! I'm beautiful and you know it!" she huffed and Matthew rolled his eyes before stabbing his fork into his meat.

"Argh!" Hector shouted as the tent fell on top of him and Eliwood, despite his efforts to hold in his laughter, couldn't and burst out laughing. "Oh shut the hell up," Hector grumbled as he fought his way through the tent, not getting any help from Eliwood, for he was still laughing too hard to even notice.

"S-sorry, Hector," Eliwood managed to say and he calmed down a few moments later, wiping away some tears that formed in his eyes.

"It's not even that funny," he huffed as he got the last of the fabric off himself and turned around, glaring at the fallen tent.

"Whatever you say," Eliwood said, smiling and Hector glared at him over his shoulder.

"Just help me get this thing up," he huffed and Eliwood nodded, walking a few steps up to the blue fabric.

"Okay, you grab that side while I grab this one," Eliwood said, pointing to the right side before moving his finger to the left, indicating that Hector was to grab the right whilst Eliwood was to grab the left.

"This better work," Hector grumbled. After a while of flailing around and laughing, they managed to make the tent, that is, after Marcus came along and helped out.

"Ah, there we go, thank you Marcus," Eliwood said, smiling at his loyal Paladin and he nodded, smiling as well before walking off to his own tent to go to sleep. The night had darkened, becoming a pitch black. The only thing that illuminated the small camp was the small fire burning away at the center of the small half-circle of tents. The stars and the moon weren't that bright tonight, barely winking down at them. Grabbing their bags they had left next to the tent, the two lords walked into their tent and Hector threw his bag on the tent floor.

"I'm so tired," he said, yawning as he took his blanket out of his backpack and put it down onto the floor. Eliwood followed, making his blanket a bit neater. The two, being the lords they were, had much thicker blankets made of a much sturdier material and was actually rather comfortable to lie down on.

"Me too…well, hopefully we make it to the castle tomorrow," he said as he grabbed his other blanket and he put it down on top of him. He was lying down on his back and he turned his head to face Hector, who was rolled onto his side and facing Eliwood.

"Yes, I hope so, all this walking is tiring," he grumbled and Eliwood laughed.

"I hope you realize how long this journey might be…it includes a lot more walking," he said, eliciting a groan from Hector as he put his hands up his forehead, rolling over onto his back.

"Well, fine, if it's for your old man," Hector said, glancing back over at Eliwood with a large grin on his face, though Eliwood couldn't see it because it was too dark. He could hear it in his voice, however, and Eliwood smiled.

"Thank you, Hector…that means a lot to me."

"What else are friends for?"

"Well, you can easily beat them in sparring…" Eliwood said as he grinned widely and Hector rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah right, you WISH you could beat me…let's spar tomorrow! We still haven't even once!"

"Calm down and you'll have to wake up extra early for that!" he said and Hector pursed his lips.

"Maybe some other day…." he grumbled and Eliwood laughed.

"Good night, Hector," he said quietly, closing his eyes.

"Good night," Hector responded and he looked up at the top of the tent for a few moments before rolling over on his side, his back to Eliwood, and he closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Lowen," Rebecca greeted him with a smile and he nodded, smiling slightly and awkwardly.<p>

"Good morning, Rebecca…what's for breakfast?" he asked, looking down at the table full of bowls and plates.

"Only berries and fruits," she answered sadly with a frown as she looked down at the large bowl full of fruits. "Here you go," she said, taking a plate and using a tong, placed many fruits on the plate. "Sorry, we just don't have any food and Eliwood said that he didn't want to waste too much time on cooking."

"It's alright, thank you," he said, taking the plate from her and he walked over to the logs, where the others were.

"You know, I wouldn't have minded taking up some time for some decent food," Hector grumbled as he picked up a grape off its stem and popped it into his mouth.

"Well, we need to walk as much as we can today. Jasmine said that we'll most likely get to the castle today," Eliwood answered, glancing over at him before back at his plate and he ate a strawberry. Hector huffed wordlessly, plucking another grape and popping it into his mouth.

"I still don't trust her, Eliwood."

Eliwood groaned. "Oh come on Hector, she's done nothing wrong!"

"Yeah I know but…when I asked those questions…I could tell that she was, well, you know…" he struggled to find the right word. "Cautious. She seemed just like she didn't trust _me_! Hah!"

"Just give her a chance, Hector, you might be surprised," Eliwood said, smiling slightly at his friend, who looked doubtful.

"We'll just see about that."

"We shall," he said, nodding and a few moments went in silence as everyone munched on their healthy yet small breakfast. Rebecca grabbed a plate as well and walked over, sitting down between Marcus and Oswin on a log.

"I'm here~" Serra shrieked, skipping over to the quiet group with a big smile on her face, earning groans from Hector and Matthew. She pursed her lips. "That was very rude of you two!"

"Just grab a plate and eat so you don't have to talk!" Hector said and she feigned hurt, sniffling a bit.

"Hector!" Eliwood snapped and looked over at his friend as did he. "That was a very rude and hurtful thing for you to say!"

"Oh who _cares_?" Hector huffed, rolling his eyes. "You don't even know the half of it; you've barely known her for three days!"

"At least you don't have to sleep in the same tent as her," Matthew mumbled with a yawn as Serra sat down on a log beside Dorcas. "I barely got any sleep last night," he said and it showed on his face, dark circles below his usually bright honey brown eyes.

"Well it's not my fault you're so easily distracted by my beauty," Serra said as she, in a very ladylike manner, stabbed her sliced watermelon with her fork and nibbled on it. Matthew rolled his eyes.

"You know what, I'm too tired to even bother," he grumbled, looking down at his plate and he grabbed his last strawberry.

"Hah, the beautiful ones always win!" Serra said, grinning widely at him and Hector mumbled a few words underneath his breath before standing up and putting his plate away into the large blue sac.

"Err…I'm going to go put the tent away," he said and dashed off, successfully getting away from the chatty cleric. Eliwood chuckled and shook his head as he too stood up. Walking over to the blue sac, he carefully put his plate inside before walking after Hector to help put away the tent.

"I guess that means that we're leaving soon," Marcus said, glancing over at his comrades. "You should all start packing as well."

"OH!" Rebecca said, standing up quickly, earning a few glances. "I forgot to wake up Jasmine!" she said and quickly finished up the rest of her breakfast before putting the silverware away.

Marcus slightly furrowed his eyebrows. "She's still sleeping?"

"Yeah," Rebecca said, pausing in her walk toward her tent as she looked back at Marcus, who frowned deeply.

"Hmm, she seems to sleep in a lot…"

"It's only been two mornings, Sir Marcus, maybe she's just not used to it yet," Rebecca said, shrugging as she continued her walk to her tent. Once she got to it and walked in, she saw Jasmine sprawled out on her stomach, her mouth slightly open and the blanket that she wore on top was curled up by her feet. At least she didn't kick at night.

"Jasmine!" Rebecca said and got no response. She sighed, not wanting to do this once more. "Jasmine!" she said, louder this time. "JASMINE!" she was shouting now and the tactician stirred a bit but continued to sleep. Remembering that shaking her shoulders seemed to work the other day, Rebecca got down on her knees and shook Jasmine's shoulders. She awoke with a yelp and leaped to the side of the tent, her hands against the flimsy fabric and her eyes were wide and alert as they stared at Rebecca. She smiled, not as surprised as she was yesterday. "That seems to work."

Jasmine seemed to be at a loss of words before she managed to croak out, "please don't do that."

Rebecca's smile slipped off her face and was replaced with a confused frown as she slightly tilted her head to the left. "Do what, wake you up?"

"Well, not exactly…please don't…don't touch me," she said stiffly, only causing Rebecca to be even more confused.

"What?"

"Just…just don't touch me," she mumbled, glancing down at her feet as she spoke. "Please."

"Uh…okay, sorry," Rebecca said as Jasmine looked back up and for the first time, the green haired girl noticed that the brunette was scared. She was tensed up, her face obviously one of fright, her hands tightly clenching onto the tent. She looked ready to run if it was necessary. "Sorry."

"…it's alright," Jasmine mumbled, relaxing slightly, but only by a hair. "I shouldn't have freaked out like that…"

Before Rebecca could say anything else, a male voice from outside the tent intervened. "Rebecca, is Jasmine awake yet?" Marcus called out, causing the two girls to jump a bit.

"Yes, she is," Rebecca answered back, glancing over her shoulder.

"Okay then, everyone's packing up now…I recommend you do the same," Marcus replied before walking away and Rebecca looked back at Jasmine with a smile.

"What he said," she said and got down on her knees, quickly starting to pack her things. Jasmine followed suit and it was quiet for a few moments as they packed. Once they were done they walked out of the tent and quickly put it down. *Rebecca stuffed the fabric into her bag and with a smile, quickly walked off to join the others. Jasmine followed as she brushed her tangled hair and once she made it to the small circle, Hector nodded.

"We better get going now."

* * *

><p>"There it is," Eliwood breathed as he stopped and Hector stopped beside him, the rest of their miniature army stopping behind them.<p>

Hector grinned widely. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" he said and as he started to walk, Matthew stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What-Matthew?" he said, glancing over his shoulder to see Matthew glance up at him quickly before back at a bush with narrowed eyes.

"Not so fast!" Matthew said, unsheathing a dagger and throwing it at the bush. Before Hector could ask, a clink was heard and a man emerged from the bush, standing up with a cocky grin. He was a bit overweight and was balding, his green hair thinning away. "Nice try."

The man smirked widely, taking a step back and out of the green bush. "Ah, I didn't think you'd find me."

"Who are you?" Hector snarled, taking steps forth, extending his hand out to stop Eliwood from coming. "Ah, it doesn't matter, I suppose," he said, grinning slyly. "Why would I need to know the name of a corpse?"

"Ha, we'll just see about that, young cub," the overweight man hissed, grinning as well. "Let's see you make it to the castle," he said and walked off, cackling all the while. Hector let out a wordless hiss, adjusting his axe onto his shoulder.

"Jasmine, orders!" Eliwood said suddenly, as if just remembering what her job was as he twirled around to face her. She was already doing mental calculations, glancing around the landscape. Everyone was now watching her and she paused a few moments later, feeling all their eyes on her.

"We have to split up into two groups. And there's not much time…" she trailed off, taking a few steps back to take a better look at her comrades. "Rebecca, Eliwood, Lowen, Hector, Serra, Matthew, you guys all trail down south," she said, pointing straight ahead and they all nodded.

"The rest of you guys, go that way," she said, pointing to her right. "Bartre, knock that small tree over; use it as a bridge. Oh and guys," she called out as the two groups started to walk off in their own directions. Matthew walked up to the bush and grabbed his dagger, twirling it around in his hand before walking off after Lowen and Rebecca. Serra followed, screeching. "I want you to go to villages, close up the gates, and maybe some villagers will be kind enough to give you something."

"Where are you going, Jasmine?" Eliwood asked, turning around to face her and Hector did as well. She paused for a moment thoughtfully before answering.

"I'll go with them," she said, pointing her thumb over at Oswin, Marcus, Bartre, and Dorcas. "Don't worry, as long as you got the big image, you'll be fine…our goal is the castle!" she called out before running off to join her little group.

"Let's go," Hector urged, placing his hand on Eliwood's shoulder and pushing him away, turning back around.

An arrow whizzed past Lowen's head and he let out a yelp, turning around to see it land into the ground.

"I got him!" Rebecca shouted and let go of her arrow, allowing it to go sailing through the air but she missed, the arrow landing next to the archer's foot. "Ah!" she let out a yelp, quickly pulling another arrow out of her bag and putting it onto her bow.

Hector ran forward, lifting his ax off his shoulder and he jumped through the air, bringing his ax down with him. He missed as the archer took a step to his left and Hector's ax got stuck down into the grass. As he tried to pull it out, an axe man came rushing forward, swinging his ax toward Hector's neck. He was forced to stop when an arrow found its way into his shoulder and he let out a loud yelp, trying to pull it out of his shoulder blade. Matthew dashed forward as Eliwood rushed up to help Hector, and he unsheathed his two daggers, holding one in each hand. He jumped forward, kicking the axe man in the chest and he fell back a few steps. Jumping again, he made many slashes at his enemy, who looked down at his now tattered shirt and bleeding chest. Letting out an angry growl, he brought his ax down toward Matthew, who quickly dodged it.

"Hector, are you alright?" Eliwood asked and he quickly ducked an arrow from an archer.

"Yeah yeah," he huffed, finally getting his ax out of the ground with some help from Eliwood. Lowen rushed past him, his sword high in the air and he swung it down, plunging it into an enemy archer's chest. He shrieked and fell over, a pool of blood quickly forming as Lowen fell off his horse, falling on his rear end. His horse neighed, looking down at Lowen with its droopy eyes. The turquoise haired boy quickly stood up, ruffling his bangs that completely covered his eyes before jumping back onto his horse.

"Are you alright Lowen?" Rebecca asked as she ran up to him, readying her bow and arrow before letting go of the arrow, allowing it to go zooming forward but she missed again, the arrow making a huge curve in the air before landing in the ground. "Darn!"

"I got a torch…" Jasmine mumbled, holding up it up to show her comrades and Bartre raised an eyebrow as Dorcas started to hit his ax against another snag. "What are we going to do with that?"

Jasmine shrugged. "I don't know…but it might come in handy later," she said and took her backpack off, opening it and stuffing the torch inside before swinging it back onto her back.

"You know, Jasmine, it might be easier if you just ride with me," Marcus said, looking down at her on his horse and she looked up at him.

"No thank you, I can walk," she replied politely.

"But surely it'd be faster-"

"No no I'm good," she interrupted quickly and he raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth to say something but the sound of fresh cut wood tearing apart intervened. They turned to see the tree collapse and it reached the other side of land, across the river. Bartre and Dorcas crossed it, followed by Jasmine and Marcus. Oswin followed a few moments later, once closing the gate to the village.

"Gah!" Bartre shouted as he ducked the swing of a lance from an enemy Cavalier. Before he could do anything else, Marcus urged his horse forward and stabbed his silver lance right below the Cavalier's armor, getting his stomach. He let out an ear piercing scream as blood began to spill out of his stomach and he looked down at it, horrified. "Hey, that was my kill!" Bartre huffed angrily, glaring at Marcus, who pulled his lance out of the enemy's stomach, just in time, too, for the enemy fell off his horse, spluttering blood out of his mouth.

"This isn't a race or a game, Bartre," Marcus said sternly, looking down at the axe man from his horse. He rolled his eyes and snorted, causing Marcus to raise an eyebrow. Before he could say anything else, Bartre dashed off to his left, jumping up and swinging his ax toward the other Cavalier's head. The Cavalier blocked it with his sword and as Bartre came falling back down to the ground, the Cavalier cut his arm. Bartre let out a yelp and he thudded to the ground, accidentally letting go of his ax in pain and it slid a few feet away. The Cavalier laughed as he rushed forward on his horse and he swung down, his sword aimed at Bartre's head. Dorcas blocked it with his ax and Marcus stabbed him from behind. He fell limp and plopped off his horse, which neighed and ran off in the other direction. Dorcas turned around and got down on one knee, examining Bartre's bleeding arm. Marcus's horse trotted over to him and Marcus looked down at him as well.

"This isn't too bad, I've been through worse," Bartre said and chuckled, holding up his arm, wincing a bit. "After all, I will be one of the strongest warriors in all of Elibe!"

Without a word, Dorcas pulled a vulnery out of his pant pocket and he looked over at Marcus, nodding. Getting the message, he pulled on his steed's reigns.

"Dorcas and Bartre, you two can go that way once Bartre is healed…" Jasmine said, pointing over to the right of the castle. She paused for a moment, just noticing the castle, of which she could only see the back. She looked over at Marcus and Oswin, both of them patiently waiting for her. "We'll go this way," she said, nodding at Dorcas and he nodded in return before she dashed off after Marcus and Oswin, and they headed toward the left of the castle.

"There are the others!" Oswin called out and Marcus and Jasmine looked over toward the small bridge to see the rest of their comrades. There were many enemies clumped up around the bridge, and the others were clumped around on the other side, making it a bit difficult to fight. Jasmine raised an eyebrow, seeming slightly annoyed at their position. Oswin and Marcus were a bit distracted with their lords that they didn't notice the arrow aimed straight at Marcus's head.

"MARCUS!" Jasmine screamed and he turned to look at her in confusion, still not noticing the arrow and she tugged on his horse's reigns roughly, causing it to move to its right.

"What?" he asked, confused and slightly annoyed as he looked down at her. She looked a little annoyed herself as she pointed at the arrow that whizzed past his ear and it landed behind him. "Oh…thank you."

She let go of the reigns and nodded. "Not a problem…now go on, we still have a battle to finish," she said and he nodded, running off with his lance high in the air. Oswin followed and his armor clanked as he ran off. With a sigh, Jasmine started to run toward the bridge, toward her other comrades.

"Gah! Move out of the way, Serra! Matthew!" Hector shouted as Serra skipped her way to her lord and had started to blab as he attempted to kill an enemy. Matthew groaned as he glanced up at Hector in front of him, quickly stashing the small amount of gold he had taken from the dead bandit into his pocket before kicking him into the river.

"I don't think you should do that, Matthew," Eliwood said from behind, trying to get a look at what was happening in the battle in front of him. Hector was halfway across the small and skinny bridge, swinging his ax like a madman, to which his comrades responded by staying on the land, standing in front of the bridge. Despite that, Serra stood behind him, blabbing away.

"Oh no worries, it is fine, Lord Eliwood."

"Matthew!" Hector shouted and his spy groaned.

"Why do I have to?"

"'Cause I told you to!" he snarled and with a sigh, Matthew walked up to Serra and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her back and ignoring her complaints.

"Just stay put, please," Matthew said as he let go of her and she pursed her lips.

"This is how you treat a person that saves everybody's lives? I think I deserve some more respect!" she huffed and before Matthew could further argue, Jasmine's shouts intervened.

"Rebecca, you can still shoot arrows! Hector, get off that bridge!" she shouted and Rebecca looked over at her sadly.

"I'm sorry, I can't; I ran out of arrows!" she shouted back and was unable to see Jasmine's expression, for she was halfway between the bridge they were by and the castle.

"Hector, get off that bridge! Make it to the other side so the others can get through!"

"I'm trying!" he shouted back angrily, swinging his ax around only to miss and his enemy laughed.

"Don't try, do!" she shouted back and he let out a wordless growl.

"I don't see you trying to help!"

"Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me," she hissed back, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice. "Maybe I'll stop trying to explain then."

"Hector!" Eliwood hissed and his friend glanced over at him over his shoulder before sighing.

"Fine…what do you want me to do?" he shouted to Jasmine, who, despite her annoyance, replied.

"Get off the bridge! Hurry up and chop that guy's head off and get off the bridge!" she shouted and after a few more swings, he finally managed to chop off his enemy's head. Jumping over his corpse, he made it to the other side, only to get bombarded by more enemies. He got help, though, when his comrades quickly passed over the bridge and started to fight against the enemies.

"…Guy?" Matthew asked, his eyes widening as an enemy that he slashed through fell, revealing a boy that was around the age of sixteen or so. He wore a traditional Sacaen outfit; a long blue tunic that split as it reached his legs, making his moves much easier to flow. Below were white pants and black boots, which only reached his ankles. In his hand was his Killer Edge, a sword. He had long dark green hair in a braid, reaching his chest and a blue headband was wrapped around his head. The expression on his face made Matthew laugh. His mouth hung open and his eyebrows were raised, his dark brown eyes looking about ready to pop out of his face.

"Matthew?" he whispered, unable to believe his eyes and he blinked a few times.

"Hah, you remember me! What are you doing here?" he asked as he slashed his daggers through another enemy and he shrieked before plopping down to the ground and Guy hesitated before speaking.

"I got a job."

"You got a job with _these _guys?" Matthew asked, raising an eyebrow as he gestured toward the many enemies around him.

"Yes…I need money."

"Ah, well, now you're going to work with us!" the thief said, grinning widely as Guy looked at him incredulously.

"You're kidding."

"Nope!" Matthew replied cheerfully with a grin. "I saved your life, didn't I? And who was the one that said that he owed me his life? Hmmm?"

"Fine," he snarled angrily. "I'll join, but not willingly!"

"That's a good boy," Matthew said, his grin widening as he patted Guy on his head. "Now let's finish this!" he said and jumped, slashing his daggers toward the enemy Cavalier. Meanwhile, Hector had made his way to the castle.

"Ah, you finally made it, little cub," the balding man said, grinning widely at Hector as he stopped in front of him.

"Just in time to say goodbye," he replied with a grin and he swung his ax forward, which was easily blocked by the balding man's lance. Furrowing his eyebrows, Hector took a step back to move his ax. As he did, the balding man shoved his lance forward, hitting Hector's chest armor.

"Lowen, Oswin, come to the castle, quickly!" Jasmine called out, running a bit toward them and they turned, being the only two that had some free time. Other than the large clump by the bridge, not many enemies were left. The two quickly ran toward the castle to help out Hector.

"Not so much the tiger now, are we, little one?" the boss cackled as Hector was down on his knees in front of him, his left hand on his bleeding upper right arm. His ax lay a few feet away. "Say bah bye!" he said and he raised his lance, plunging it straight for Hector's neck, right in between the neck armor.

A sword intervened with the lance, the flat side colliding with the lance's tip. The bald man looked up to see the owner of the sword, but was unable to see his eyes, the teal hair covering them. Despite his covered eyes, he looked nervous, his lips quivering a little. As the bald man was about to stab Lowen instead, a lance stabbed through his neck and he fell over as Oswin yanked his lance back out.

"Lord Hector," Oswin breathed as he looked down at his bleeding lord and the rest of the miniature army made their way to the castle.

"Ah! Lord Hector, you're injured!" Rebecca cried out once resting her eyes upon the large lord and Serra pushed her way past everyone.

"I need some room!" she huffed and everyone backed up, creating a large half circle around the two. "Oh Saint Elimine, thanks to you I have the amazing power of being beautiful. And help people by saving their lives. Even when they don't appreciate it!" she said as she closed her eyes, lifting up her staff as everyone raised an eyebrow. "I also think that-"

"SERRA!" Matthew, Hector, and Oswin all shouted simultaneously and she opened her eyes, glancing over at the three, looking annoyed.

"You shouldn't interrupt me when I'm healing someone!"

"Those are most definitely _not_ what you're supposed to say when healing someone!" Hector huffed angrily, wincing and Serra looked back down at him, sighing and nodding.

"Fine fine…" she trailed off, closing her eyes again and lifting her staff high up in the air, mumbling a few words underneath her breath. The ball at the top of the staff lit up, a ball of light forming and it grew until it reached Hector. A few moments later, Serra put her hand back down by her side, holding her staff, and she opened her eyes. She looked down at Hector, bending down to take a look at his arm. Without any arguing he showed her his arm and she examined it carefully.

"…and?" he asked after a few moments, glancing up at her.

"You should be fine, just be gentle with your arm for the next couple of days…did he actually STAB your arm? Did it go through?"

"Yes…" he grumbled indignantly and she frowned slightly, gently rubbing her thumb against the mark. "It went though my skin."

"It went through some muscles, but no worries," Serra said and with one last nod she stood up, brushing herself off with her hands. "Yeah, you should be fine; the staff did all the healing."

"Good," Hector said, rubbing his arm but he winced. "Ow!"

"Didn't I just tell you to be gentle?" she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest and he rolled his eyes as he picked up his fallen ax.

"Yeah yeah yeah whatever," he huffed, using his left hand to pick up his ax and shoulder it. "Can we all go inside now?"

Eliwood walked up to Hector, nodding before turning and facing toward the two wide doors. Taking a deep breath, he put a hand on each handle and opened the doors.


	3. Chapter 3

It was quiet as the small group waited outside the door, in the hallway. Matthew quietly played around with his daggers while Serra quietly twirled her hair around, bored and anxious. Guy stood on the other side of Matthew, looking a bit awkward and a bit frustrated as he glanced around at his new comrades. Lowen, who would've rather sat on the floor, was standing straight up, his hand on his lance with the butt on the floor. Marcus stood next to him, standing in the same position, except it looked more natural and he held more confidence. Oswin stood beside Marcus, his back leaned against the wall as he waited for the door to open. Across them, near the door, Bartre was sitting on the floor criss-cross style, his ax lying beside him. Dorcas stood next to him, his ax resting on the wall just like he was. On the other side of the door, Rebecca and Jasmine were sitting with their backs to the wall, Rebecca's legs stretched out whilst Jasmine's were bent.

The door slowly opened, causing everyone to jump a bit and those who were sitting to quickly stand. Eliwood and Hector walked out, Hector closing the door, and they faced everyone, looking sad and grim.

"And?" Serra asked as nobody said anything for a few moments, raising her eyebrows and looking at them expectedly. Hector cleared his throat, placing his hand on Eliwood's shoulder as he looked down at the floor.

"Lord Helman has gone to a better place," he said quietly, giving Eliwood's shoulder a squeeze and his friend managed to give him a small smile. It was quiet for a few moments as everyone stared at the two lords in disbelief. Serra was quietly praying, murmuring words underneath her breath as she closed her eyes.

"May he rest in peace," Marcus said after a few moments and Hector nodded, smiling at him. A few murmurs of agreement came from their comrades until it was quiet once again and Oswin cleared this throat awkwardly.

"I suppose we must tell everyone that Lord Helman has passed," he said quietly. "I shall go tell the steward," he said, looking at Hector for approval and he nodded. Giving a small nod to his lord, Oswin turned around and walked away from his companions. An eerie silence followed before Rebecca smiled sadly, turning to face Eliwood and she put her hand on his other shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she said quietly and he gave her a half-hearted smile.

"Thank you, Rebecca," he said and she smiled, letting go of his shoulder a moment later and taking a small step back. Oswin broke the silence as he came clambering back with someone at his side.

"Is it true? Our lord is gone?" the man said as he ran up to the two lords, ignoring everybody else, his eyes wide and worried. Hector and Eliwood nodded sadly.

"Yes, he's gone, I'm sorry," Hector said and the steward looked at him in disbelief before pausing for a moment, glancing over at the closed door.

"In there…?"

"Yes, give him a proper burial."

"What are we going to do after that?" the steward asked nervously, looking back at Hector.

"I'm sure the Lycian Council will meet…defend the castle until you hear of further news," he said and the steward nodded, bowing deeply.

"I understand. Thank you for your time, milords," he said and he straightened up, earning nods from the two before turning around, but he paused for a moment, turning back around. "Milords, I've noticed that it's already dusk…would you and your companions like to stay here overnight?"

Hector and Eliwood glanced over at each other before looking back at the steward. "Thank you, that would be greatly appreciated," Eliwood said with a smile and the steward returned the smile, bowing once more.

"No, thank you. Please follow me," he said as he straightened up, gesturing for everyone to follow and they did, walking down the long hallway. The steward took a sharp left and everyone followed him. They arrived in another hallway with a number of closed doors. "These are our guest rooms. Our castle isn't quite the biggest one around, and most of the other rooms are already being used by our soldiers and servants," the steward explained.

"How many rooms are there?" Hector asked, turning around to face the steward as everyone else started to walk down the corridor, glancing around.

"Six, milord," he said and Hector nodded after a moment.

"Thanks. You're free to go," he said, earning one last bow before the steward turned around and walked off. Sighing quietly, the blue head turned back around and looked at his comrades.

"We're going to have to share rooms…two a room," he said and everyone glanced over at him before at each other. "C'mon Eliwood," Hector said as he walked up to his redheaded friend, grinning. He received a small smile in return and as they were about to walk into the room, Eliwood paused for a moment, turning back around and curiously walking toward Guy.

"Do I know you?" he asked, though there was no tone of rudeness, just confusion and curiosity, for he had never seen this boy before.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce you to everyone," Matthew said, glancing over at Guy, who didn't look quite happy. "Everyone this is Guy, he's a new member of our little group," he said, wrapping his arm around Guy's shoulder and giving him a light punch on the shoulder. Guy glared at Matthew and shook his arm off.

"Oh, very well, it's nice to meet you, Guy. I'm Eliwood of Pherae," Eliwood said, smiling and he earned a smile and a nod.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Guy said and Eliwood glanced over at everyone else.

"I guess we should all introduce each other…" he said and glanced over at Hector, indicating him to go.

"I'm Hector of Ostia," he said, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked down at Guy.

"I'm Rebecca!" Rebecca chirped happily and Guy looked over at her, smiling and nodding.

"I'm Marcus," Marcus said, nodding at Guy who gave a small nod in return.

"I'm Oswin," the orange knight said and Guy looked at him as well, for he needed to in order to remember who was who.

"I'm Lowen," the teal haired Cavalier said as Guy turned to look at him.

"Bartre," Bartre said simply, adjusting his axe and Guy moved his eyes to the man beside him after a nod to Bartre.

"Dorcas," Dorcas said quietly, giving a nod to Guy as he nodded at him.

"I'm Serra!" Serra chirped happily, smiling widely at Guy.

"I'm Jasmine," the tactician said lastly, looking at Guy warily.

"Well, goodnight everyone," Eliwood said as he smiled at his comrades before turning around and opening the door to the room that he and Hector had chosen. As they walked in Hector groaned loudly, causing everyone to glance over at him.

"What is it?" Serra asked curiously, walking up to the two as Eliwood walked into the room, not seeming quite pleased either once he put the lantern on. Putting her hands on Hector's shoulder, Serra poked her head around to peek inside the room. "What-oh…" she trailed off before bursting out into giggles, earning a glare from Hector.

"What is it?" Matthew asked and he would've peeked in himself if Hector weren't so big that he took up most of the door. With Serra in the equation, the entire door was already taken up.

"There's only one bed!" Serra laughed and Matthew paused for a moment before laughing as well, a few chuckles coming from his comrades.

"Shut up Serra, you're going to have to share a bed with Matthew," he said with a smirk and Serra immediately stopped laughing, narrowing her eyes up at her lord.

"Just don't make too much noise," he said with a snicker as he walked into the room and Serra made a face.

"That's not funny, Lord Hector, that's just gross," she huffed and he glanced over at her over his shoulder, smirking in amusement.

"I'm amazed that a girl supposedly serving Saint Elimine knows what I'm talking about," he said and grinned as she turned a bright red.

"Oh shut up Lord Hector!" she huffed angrily, turning back around and slamming the door on the two lords. "I'm not sleeping in the same room as Matthew," Serra declared as she faced everyone, crossing her arms across her chest. Matthew let out a sigh of relief, grinning.

"Good, maybe I'll finally get some sleep tonight," he said with a grin and glanced over at Guy behind him. "C'mon, you're going to be my buddy," he said and Guy looked a bit reluctant but nodded nonetheless, walking off to a room with Matthew. "I call the bed!"

"What? That's not fair!" Guy huffed and Matthew sighed, shaking his head.

"I saved your life; you owe me," he said and Guy let out a wordless growl as he entered the room, finding the lantern and putting it on.

"Have fun sleeping in the same bed with a man," Matthew called out to Serra over his shoulder, snickering before closing the door to his room. Dorcas and Bartre walked into an open room and Dorcas was the lucky one that got to sleep on the bed, after a little rock-paper-scissor game with Bartre.

Turning red from either embarrassment or anger, Serra turned around to face the rest of her comrades. "Rebecca, I'm going to sleep in the same room as you!"

Rebecca was taken aback, gaping a bit as she glanced over at Jasmine beside her. "I'm sorry Serra, but I already promised Jasmine-"

"I don't care!" Serra shrieked as she stomped her feet and Jasmine looked annoyed.

"Serra," Oswin said in a warning tone but she ignored him.

"I refuse to sleep in the same bed with a man!" she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest and Oswin sighed, wearily putting his fingers to his temple and gently rubbing it.

"You can just sleep on the floor," Jasmine mumbled as she glanced over at Serra and Oswin nodded in agreement.

"Yes, that's perfect!" he said as Serra glared at Jasmine, slightly raising her chin.

"Ew, that's just gross! I'm going with Rebecca, whether you like it or not!" she huffed as she walked toward Rebecca, who glanced over at Jasmine worriedly.

"It's fine, just go with her," Jasmine said with a tired smile. "I don't want her shrieking any longer," she said and with an apologetic smile, Rebecca walked off to a room with Serra.

"That was very kind of you to do, Jasmine," Oswin said from behind her and she turned to face him, smiling slightly.

"Thanks, but it was no big deal."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "Are you sure you're fine with this? I mean you girls can all probably sleep in one room," he offered but she shook her head, continuing to smile slightly.

"No thanks, I don't want to sleep in the same room as Serra," she said and Oswin chuckled quietly, nodding.

"All right then, it's your choice," he said before turning and opening the door to the room that he and Marcus had to share.

"Good night, Jasmine, Lowen," Marcus said as he was about to step into his room, glancing over at the two.

"Good night, Marcus," Jasmine said, nodding at him and Lowen saluted.

"Good night, Sir Marcus," he said and Marcus looked at him approvingly before walking into his room, quietly closing the door behind him. Jasmine and Lowen glanced over at each other then at the floor, an awkward silence filling the air.

"Sorry about this Lowen," Jasmine said and he shook his head, giving her a lopsided smile.

"It's okay, I don't mind…" he trailed off, turning around and walking off to the last open room, Jasmine following. He fumbled with the doorknob for a few moments before he finally managed to open it, allowing Jasmine to walk in. She glanced around the dark room, only able to see the outlines of objects and she moved her hands around. Lowen stepped in and blinked a few times as he closed the door, trying to adjust to the darkness.

"There's got to be a lantern somewhere around here," Jasmine said as she fumbled around on a drawer, or at least, something of the sort. Lowen looked around for one as well and minutes passed until they finally gave up.

"Well, I suppose we should go to sleep. I wonder what's for breakfast tomorrow," Lowen said as he straightened up, glancing over at Jasmine although he could only see her outline.

"You're right, we should get some sleep…" she said as she walked over to the bed, flailing her arms around until she felt the soft fabric on top of the mattress. She got on the bed, finding her way to the pillow and pulled the covers over herself. Lowen awkwardly stood where he was, eying what he thought was the bed.

"Err…" was the only thing he could manage to mumble, shuffling his feet as his face turned pink.

"What?" Jasmine mumbled tiredly, yawning.

"I guess I'll sleep on the floor," he said and she suddenly sat up straight, causing the Cavalier to jump a bit.

"Oh right, sorry! I'll sleep on the floor," she volunteered and he shook his head.

"No, that's alright, I will."

"I'm used to sleeping on hard surfaces. I don't mind at all."

"Jasmine, it's fine, I'm used to it as well and I don't mind either," he said and she sighed quietly.

"All right then," she gave in, "sorry. If we're ever paired up again, I'm going to sleep on the floor."

He chuckled quietly, nodding. "All right, that sounds fair to me," he said as she rustled around on the bed and something soft hit his face and he caught it before it fell to the ground. Once he realized that it was a pillow, something else hit him, this time larger and thinner as well as flimsier. Before he could say or do anything else, another one hit him, this one thicker and he stumbled back a few steps. Jasmine put her hand over her mouth, holding in her laughter as Lowen straightened back up.

"Sorry," she said, a few giggles escaping her lips before she quickly stopped. "Oh sorry I wasn't laughing at you or anything."

"There's no reason to apologize," he replied with a smile before he quietly started to put the thinner blanket down onto the floor. She was quiet for a few moments, lying back down on her comfy bed and she looked up at the ceiling as she spoke.

"Goodnight, Lowen."

"Goodnight."

* * *

><p>"…What are you doing?" Dorcas asked as he glanced over at Bartre, raising his eyebrow ever so slightly as he looked over at Bartre sitting down on the floor, his eyes closed. He appeared to be meditating…or at least, was trying to.<p>

"I'm thinking," he responded and Dorcas didn't respond, quietly getting out of bed and he started to do his regular morning stretches. The room beside them wasn't as quiet or as calm.

"Matthew, you give that back to me!" Guy hissed as he crouched over, looking like a predator as he eyed Matthew, his prey, from across the room.

"Give what?" he asked innocently and Guy rolled his eyes.

"I saw you take my gold."

"What gold?"

"MATTHEW!" he shouted as he lunged for the thief but ended up falling flat on his face as Matthew took a step to his left, snickering. Growling wordlessly as he stood back up, he lunged again, and this time, he got the thief, the two of them falling to the floor. As they struggled with each other, the door opened and Hector walked in. He didn't have his armor on but despite that, was still big and looked a bit menacing.

"You guys need to…" he trailed off as he stared at the two and the position they were in. Guy was on top of Matthew, his knees bent and on either side of Matthew's legs. One hand was on the floor, placed by a side of Matthew's head but the other was grabbed onto by Matthew, for Guy had managed to take his gold back, the pouch currently in his hand. "Err…" was the only other thing that Hector could say as the two noticed him there and quickly got up. "Breakfast's downstairs," he said before lumbering out of the room, closing the door on them as they started to explain to him what was going on.

"Eliwood, you got to hear about this!" he said, laughing hysterically as he walked toward said redhead, who was knocking on someone's door. He glanced over at Hector and as he opened his mouth to speak, a hand clamped over his mouth from behind. Eliwood raised an eyebrow as he saw Matthew struggle against the large lord and Guy rushed up as well.

"That was _not_ what you thought it was," Guy said as Hector continued to struggle against Matthew and he started to drag Hector behind with some help from Guy, who smiled over at Eliwood. "Good morning, Lord Eliwood! Beautiful day, isn't it?" Guy said happily and Eliwood stared at him blankly for a few moments before slowly nodding.

"Yes…breakfast's downstairs," he said as he watched his friend get dragged away into Matthew and Guy's room, the door closing a moment later. Shaking his head a couple of times, Eliwood walked off, knocking on the next door. It opened a few moments later, revealing Bartre.

"Oh, good morning!" he said with a big smile and got a smile in return.

"Good morning, I see that you're already up. Is Dorcas awake as well?" Bartre nodded. "Oh good, then you guys can just go downstairs; breakfast is ready," he said and Bartre grinned widely, glancing over his shoulder and calling for Dorcas, who made his way to the door.

"Breakfast!" Bartre said happily before the two walked out and after Eliwood told them where the stairs were, went down them. The redheaded lord walked up to the next room, knocking on it and it almost immediately opened, revealing Marcus without his armor on. It looked a bit strange and out of place, but he looked like himself nonetheless.

"Ah, good morning milord," he said with a polite smile and nod.

"Good morning, Marcus, breakfast's ready," Eliwood responded with a smile as well.

"Alright…Oswin," he called out over his shoulder. "Breakfast's ready," he said and walked out of the room as Oswin walked up to the door. He wasn't wearing his armor as well, which was rather bulky, and he looked quite a lot smaller and less threatening.

"Good morning, Lord Eliwood," he said with a respectful nod and Eliwood smiled, nodding in return.

"Good morning, Oswin. Now the staircase is right there," he said, pointing to his left down the long hallway. "Take them and you'll go straight to the dining room. They have kindly provided us with a breakfast."

"Ah, sounds good," Oswin said and he walked past the two and down the stairs. Eliwood looked at Marcus with a confused smile, for he still stood beside him.

"Marcus? Don't you want to eat?"

"Is Jasmine awake yet?" he asked randomly and Eliwood looked at him confusedly but answered nonetheless.

"I don't know, maybe, I haven't checked yet."

"Hmm," Marcus grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest. "Since she seems to have a bad habit about sleeping in, I think I should try to wake her up," he said and Eliwood shrugged.

"If you want, sure, but let me wake up the other girls first," he said before walking across the hall to the other side and knocking on one of the doors. It opened a few moments later, revealing a smiling Rebecca.

"Why good morning Lo-Eliwood!" she said happily, correcting herself and earning herself a warm smile from the lord.

"Good morning, Rebecca. Is Serra awake as well?" he asked and as Rebecca opened her mouth to answer, a higher, much more shrilly voice intervened.

"Yes, I'm awake!" Serra said as she made her way to the door, poking her head out from behind Rebecca, who laughed. "What would the world do if I wasn't?"

Eliwood chuckled. "I don't know, but we'd all be very sad, that's sure."

"Aw, you're very sweet, Lord Eliwood!" Serra squealed and Eliwood blushed slightly, glancing down at the floor.

"Thank you."

"So did you need anything?" Rebecca asked and he looked back up at them.

"Oh yes, breakfast's ready. Just go down those stairs and it leads you right to it," he said, gesturing toward the stairs as the two girls walked out of the room.

"Okay!" Rebecca said cheerfully as she started to walk toward them, Serra following, glancing around the hall.

"Is Lord Hector awake?" she asked as she paused in her walk, facing Eliwood.

"Yes, but he seems to have been…abducted by Matthew and Guy," he said, earning a strange look.

"Oh, well, that's good! That's what he gets from being so rude and mean! I wish he was sweeter, like you, Lord Eliwood," she said with a grin and Eliwood blushed slightly again.

"I heard that!" a shout came from a room behind Eliwood and he glanced back as Serra laughed.

"Good!" she shouted back before turning back around and skipping toward the stairs. Eliwood chuckled quietly to himself before walking up the last door, knocking on it as Marcus walked up to him. Nothing happened after a few moments and Eliwood frowned slightly, knocking on the door once more. This time there was some noise and shuffling and it sounded like something clattered down before the door finally opened, revealing a tousle haired Lowen.

"Err…good morning," he managed to say, looking like he had just woken up as he looked at the two in front of him. He wasn't wearing his armor either and Eliwood gave him a warm smile whilst Marcus frowned slightly.

"Good morning, Lowen."

"Fix that hair, boy, and your shirt!" Marcus huffed, looking at Lowen disapprovingly, what with his shirt hanging out, not tucked in properly. As Lowen started to adjust his clothes and hair, Marcus walked in and raised an eyebrow at Jasmine, who was sprawled out across the fluffy bed, her eyes closed. Eliwood walked in as well, glancing over at Jasmine for a moment before looking at Marcus. He noticed a pile of books cluttered down on the floor by his feet and Lowen quickly bent down once he was tidied up, starting to clean up.

"Sorry, I tripped over those," Lowen mumbled quietly as he grabbed them and started to stack them on top of each other against the wall, in their original positions.

"It's alright. Breakfast is downstairs and ready, by the way," Eliwood said and Lowen snapped his head toward him, smiling widely.

"Really? May I go eat now?" he asked and Eliwood nodded, but Marcus didn't agree.

"Not yet, boy, clean the blankets and the pillow," he said, pointing down at the objects on the floor, of which Lowen had slept on last night. Lowen rushed forward, folding the blankets up and placing the pillow on top. He paused for a moment, unsure of where to place them, before gently picking them up and quietly placing them on the edge of the bed. Jasmine made no response, continuing to sleep. "Alright, you can go eat now," Marcus said and the Cavalier grinned before dashing out of the room. "Now," Marcus said, "we just have to wake her up."

"It can't be that hard," Eliwood said with a smile and Marcus nodded.

"Yes, it's all about technique. I've woken up many dozens of men, soon to be knights, in my life. This isn't going to be hard," he said as he walked up to the edge of the bed, looking down at Jasmine's peaceful face.

"Jasmine," he said sternly in his first attempt at waking her but was obviously unsuccessful. "Jasmine, you need to wake up right now!" he said, this time louder and he leaned in closer, but was unsuccessful. Frowning, he was about to shake her like crazy, but decided not to, realizing how impolite it would be to do that to a lady. Frowning, he took a deep breath before shouting, "JASMINE!" She stirred, making a face as she rolled over, her back now faced to him. Grumbling a few words underneath his breath, he turned to face Eliwood, who was obviously holding in laughter, biting down on his bottom lip.

"Hey, what are you guys doing in here?" Hector's booming, deep voice came from behind and Eliwood turned to face him.

"What happened to you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, looking amused as Hector mumbled a few words underneath his breath.

"I don't even want to talk about it."

"Where are Matthew and Guy?"

"I sent them downstairs to eat. I should've had some of the cooks put poisoning in the food," he grumbled and Eliwood chuckled. "Anyways, what are you guys doing?"

"We're trying to wake Jasmine up," Eliwood said, glancing over at the sleeping tactician and Hector raised an eyebrow.

"She's still sleeping?"

Marcus sighed, nodding as he looked over at him. "I'm afraid so, milord. I've tried to wake her up but nothing seems to work…"

Hector grinned widely, looping his fingers through each other as he extended his arms, stretching. "Let me handle this one," he said as he walked up to the bed and Marcus walked back to Eliwood, giving Hector enough room. He put his fingers underneath the mattress and Eliwood, realizing what he was doing, widened his eyes.

"No, don't-" he said but was too late and a loud thud sounded in the room, followed by a groan.

"What the _hell_?" Jasmine said as she stood up, rubbing her back and she paused for a moment, noticing the three in her room, and she furrowed her eyebrows, looking confused. Hector laughed, glancing back at the two behind him.

"The girl knows how to swear!" he said, jabbing his thumb at Jasmine, who slightly raised an eyebrow.

"Well, that finally seemed to have gotten you awake!" Marcus said after a moment, smiling but frowning after a moment. "I don't think that language was necessary, however."

"You pushed me off the bed to wake me up?" she questioned, ignoring their talk about the swear word, which wasn't even that bad of a word. Hector nodded with a grin while Eliwood gave her an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that Jasmine, Hector just pushed you off," Eliwood said and she glanced over at him, smiling slightly.

"That's alright; it's not your fault. Lyn used to wake me up like this all the time…or well, something like it," she said, smiling to herself before glancing back up at them. "Well, now that I'm awake, is there something you need?"

"Yeah, breakfast's ready," Hector said and she nodded.

"Okay…shall we go?" she asked, glancing over at the three politely, as if the incident has not just happened. Earning nods, the four walked out of the room.

"Are you always such a deep sleeper, Jasmine?" Hector asked as they walked down the stairs, looking down at the girl beside him and she nodded.

"That's not good," Marcus said from behind as he walked beside Eliwood on the long, wide staircase. Jasmine chuckled gently, nodded.

"Yes, I know, but I can't really help it."

"Well, let's try to fix it, shall we?"

Jasmine chuckled again, shaking her head. "Sure, you can try, but I don't think anything's going to work."

"Why would you say that?" he asked curiously with a frown and she didn't respond this time, and luckily for her, they had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs.

"It's breakfast!" Hector boomed happily, dashing off to the long table full of delicious food. Chuckling, Eliwood walked off after him, followed by Jasmine and Marcus. They all sat down at the empty chairs, greeted by their comrades.

Once everyone was done eating, they ventured out of the castle. Marcus and Lowen's horses were out in the stable, where one of the servants must have placed them. Once getting them and placing their luggage onto them, they started to walk away from the castle.

"We head to Laus, where we meet with Lord Darin, the Marquess," Eliwood said as he faced his comrades behind him, Hector standing beside him and nodding. Jasmine hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

"Since we're already at Santeruz, I think we should go shopping," she said, earning a few glances from her comrades, Hector raising an eyebrow. Serra seemed delighted by the idea, jumping up and down.

"Yes we should!" she squealed. "Maybe we can buy you a new outfit, Jasmine, that one's so bland."

Clearly ignoring Serra, though some annoyance showed on Jasmine's face, she looked at Hector and Eliwood. "I meant shopping as in buying supplies. Rebecca needs some arrows and I think we're low on food."

"Actually, we have no food," Rebecca pointed out and Lowen looked absolutely horrified. Eliwood nodded.

"All right, yes, let's go shopping in the city. Good thinking, Jasmine," he said, smiling over at her and she beamed. "C'mon," he said, turning back around and everyone followed him.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Guy hissed quietly as he glanced around his surroundings before looking at Matthew in front of him.<p>

"Hey Matthew and…err…Man?" Bartre called out from behind, slapping his arm against Guy's back as he walked up to him. Matthew's eyes widened as he glanced over his shoulder, putting a finger to his lips. Bartre looked confused and Dorcas walked up next to him, holding vulneries that he and Bartre were assigned to buy.

"My name's Guy," Guy said, realizing that Bartre had called him Man and Bartre laughed loudly, patting his back again.

"Right, sorry! Hey Matthew, don't you have to pay first?" Bartre asked confusedly as Matthew was walking back to them, loaves of bread in his arms and he widened his eyes again.

"Hey!" the man who Matthew had secretly stolen from shouted, turning around to see Matthew walking away. "Come back here! Thief!" he shouted as he started to chase after Matthew, who was now running.

"Should we help him?" Bartre asked, looking over to where the thief and the man had gone off to by now. Guy chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah, I think he'll be fine."

Meanwhile, Rebecca, Serra, and Jasmine were all standing in a clothes store, looking at outfits. Rebecca got her arrows and with some pleading from Serra, joined Jasmine and Serra on their quest to find Jasmine some new clothes. Rather, it was more of Serra's quest than Jasmine's. Jasmine had merely given in easily and was forced to come along to the many stores that Serra dragged her to. Once finally finding Jasmine a new outfit, they walked to the fountain, where they met with the rest of their group.

"Ah, there you girls are," Eliwood greeted the three. "Did you happen to see Matthew?" he asked and all three of them shook their heads.

"No, but I think we can leave him behind," Serra huffed and Guy laughed, nodding in agreement. Eliwood frowned deeply, looking concerned as he glanced around his surroundings.

"I wonder where he's gone off to. We've got to start going soon."

"Wasn't he with Guy?" Rebecca asked in confusion, glancing over at the Sacean.

"He was, but then he got caught for stealing and well…haven't seen him since," Guy said with a shrug and Hector rolled his eyes.

"That's what he gets for stealing all the time."

"Well, he is a thief," Oswin pointed out. "It's his job…but he shouldn't go around stealing everything he can get his hands on," and just as he finished his sentence, Matthew came running to the group and he handed Lowen the loaves of bread he had stolen. Lowen put them in a yellow sac, which he then picked up and adjusted on his horse. On the other side of his horse was the silverware placed in the blue sac.

"Matthew!" Oswin snapped. "It's not right to steal from others!"

Matthew gave him a smile. "It's my job!" he said and Oswin rolled his eyes.

"On the battlefield, yes, but not on a regular basis," he said and Matthew smiled, mockingly bowing to Oswin.

"Oh yes, pardon me, Sir Oswin. How silly it was of me to think that I could get away by stealing such valuable possessions. Especially because bread is so valuable," he said sarcastically as he straightened up, smiling playfully. Oswin sighed and grumbled a few words underneath his breath.

"Anyways, Jasmine, do you know how long it'll take to get to Laus?" Eliwood asked, glancing over at the tactician, who had already done the mental calculations.

"Five days, maybe five and a half," she said and he nodded, facing all his comrades.

"We go to Laus to talk with Lord Darin. He seems to have some information that we need. Did everyone get their supplies?" he asked and everyone nodded, some of them saying 'yes'. He smiled and turned around, starting to walk off, quickly followed by his companions. Hector grinned widely, throwing a fist in the air.

"To Laus!"

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 3 is complete! <em>

_Sorry if it sorta took a while to update. When I was writing this chapter I realized that I had left out Guy...and so it took a while to add him in. :P_


	4. Chapter 4

"Finally, the castle," Hector said as he looked up at the castle that towered many yards away from the small group. Eliwood didn't say anything as he glanced up at the castle and let out a quiet sigh. "Are you alright, Eliwood?"

"No, I'm worried. What if this turns into a war?" he asked, glancing up at Hector, who grinned.

"I'd defeat them all!" he said and Eliwood would've rolled his eyes and laughed if he weren't so worried.

"Innocent lives for our silly politics? I want to end this quickly, not start another whole problem," he said quietly and Hector didn't say anything as he patted his friend on the back.

"Lord Eliwood!" Marcus said as he rode up to the two lords on his horse, for he had been up ahead, surveying the area. "A knight has ridden forth from the castle."

"Is he alone?" Eliwood questioned and Marcus nodded.

"Yes, he's asking to see you. I believe he is Marquess Laus's son, Erik," he said and Eliwood hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Bring him here," Eliwood said and Hector groaned loudly as Marcus turned back around, riding off.

"I'm leaving, I don't want to see that annoying bastard again," he huffed and before Eliwood could say anything, he clambered off. Oswin chased after him and the two had a brief conversation before splitting up to survey the area. Meanwhile, the small group of comrades were all standing behind Eliwood and glancing around their surroundings. Marcus joined the small group moments later and he ushered for them to cross the bridge behind them, giving Eliwood and Erik more privacy.

"Eliwood, my old friend, how have you been?" Erik asked, giving him a fake smile as he got down from his horse.

"What are you and your father planning?" Eliwood asked Erik and he looked taken aback, expecting Eliwood to be less wary.

"Hmm, I had hoped to wait until you'd told me of Ostia, of whether or not you've spoken with the Marquess," he said and Eliwood's eyebrows bunched up in confusion. "Eliwood, I've always despised you," he spat. "And finally, the day comes, when I get to defeat you!" he said and laughed. As Eliwood took a step forth, opening his mouth to say something, Hector walked up next to him, glaring at Erik.

"Too bad you won't live to see the end of it," he hissed and Erik stiffened.

"H-Hector! Wha-have you spoken with Ostia already?"

"Maybe we have, maybe we haven't," Hector said mysteriously, smirking slightly. "Eliwood," he said, looking down at his friend beside him. "There are soldiers everywhere. They're hiding and waiting for an ambush."

Erik laughed again. "You don't stand a chance! You and what are me?"

"That army," Hector said with a grin, jabbing his thumb behind him. Erik looked at the small army and burst out laughing.

"You've got to be joking! I thought that was a circus!" he said, snickering, and Hector let out a wordless growl, stepping closer to Erik. He quickly stopped laughing and gulped nervously before jumping back up onto his horse. "You will die!" he shouted as tugged on his horse's reigns and it raised its front legs, neighing. He quickly turned around and dashed back to his castle, where his knights were assembling. Hector and Eliwood looked at each other before turning around and dashing off to their small group.

"Get your weapons!" Hector shouted as he ran into Merlinus's small blue tent, lifting it up by accident as he stood up. Hunching over and putting the tent back down, he walked out with his trusty Wolf Beil in hand. He let out a loud yelp as an old woman stood in front of him, her purple cloak hiding most of her grey hair.

"You scared me, old woman!" Hector huffed and she laughed quietly.

"A world of trouble you've landed yourself in, eh?" she asked in a raspy voice.

"Leave," he said, trying to shoo her off and she refused to move. "You'll die if you don't leave! Then again, you don't have much time as it is," he said as Eliwood walked up to him.

"Hector!" he said sternly and Hector pursed his lips as he looked at Eliwood. "There's no need to be so rude. I am Eliwood," he said, turning to look at the old lady with a charming smile. "I'm the Marquess Pherae's son. How may I help you, milady?" he asked and Hector snorted.

"My, what a polite young man," she said, giving him a smile that showed her teeth, or, at least what was left of them. "I'm Hannah, a fortune teller. I've come to help you."

"We don't need any fortune telling!" Hector snapped. "All of that's nonsense!"

Eliwood gave Hector a stern look before looking back at Hannah. "What kind of fortune telling?"

"I can tell you what weapons to take into battle, as well as who should wield them. Things of that nature," she said with a small shrug and Eliwood nodded thoughtfully.

"I see."

Hector gave Eliwood an exasperated look. "Don't tell me you believe any of this."

"We'll just have to see. Lady Hannah, you may stay with Merlinus," he said, gesturing toward the blueheaded merchant. She turned around and walked off toward him, and he allowed her into his small tent. The groups started to pass the bridges, split up into the two groups that Jasmine had split them up into.

"You better not mess up this time, Jasmine," Hector said as he glanced down at her and she didn't respond, looking away and ordering Dorcas to go down South. "Okay?"

"Okay," she murmured, still not looking at him.

"At least there's no fog," he said as he glanced around. "Maybe you won't mess up."

"I didn't see the snag," she mumbled quietly, but loud enough for him to hear.

"You're the tactician, and it's your job to make sure that we don't get a surprise attack from behind!"

"Well I'm not a perfect tactician, okay?" she grumbled, glancing up at him, looking a bit annoyed and frustrated with herself. He raised an eyebrow, expecting her to be angry at him, not at herself.

"Okay, okay, my bad," Hector said, lifting his hand that wasn't holding his ax. "Nobody's perfect, and you've been doing a pretty good job so far. Now, let's go kick some ass," he said with a grin, turning around and shouldering his ax. Laughing, she nodded and they walked off.

"Erk!" Serra squealed as she noticed a familiar purple-headed mage. He turned to look at her and he paled.

"Serra?" he asked as she bounced toward him, dodging an arrow that whizzed by her. Laughing, she pounced on him, giving him a hug and he grumbled a few words underneath his breath as she let go of him. "You're the last person I wanted to see."

"Aw, how sweet, you wanted to see me again!" Serra squealed and Erk rolled his eyes. "Hey, how about you join us?"

"What?"  
>"I'm sure Lord Hector and Lord Eliwood would appreciate it! Come on, I was your employer at one time!" she said, putting her hands on her hips. An enemy Cavalier rode toward them, lowering his sword down toward Serra. She looked at him and as she opened her mouth to scream, Erk raised his tome, murmuring a few words. The Cavalier let out a shriek as a thunderbolt jolted through him and he plopped off his horse.<p>

"I'll join under one condition," Erk said as he faced Serra. "My current employer is in a village down South. If you rescue her, I'll join."

"Perfect!" Serra said with a big smile before latching on his arm. "Now, you're going to protect me," she said, earning a loud groan from the mage.

"Serra!" Hector shouted in his booming voice and she turned to look at him in front of a fallen Eliwood. Without another word she dashed off toward them, tightening her grip on her staff. Erk started to go down South before meeting a knight, who tried to stab him with his lance. Dodging it, Erk raised his tome and he murmured a few words underneath his breath as he continued to dodge the attacks. As the knight raised the lance again, he screamed as the thunderbolt hit his head.

"Erk, is that you?" Jasmine called out from behind him as she exited a village, an iron blade in her hand. He turned around to face her and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Jasmine?" he said as she started to walk toward him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyebrows bunching up in confusion as she reached him. As he opened his mouth to answer, she pulled down on his cloak and ducked, forcing Erk to duck with her. An arrow that was aimed toward them hit a rock, falling flat to the ground and the two stood back up. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"Maybe we should talk later," he said as he turned around, ducking a swing from a Cavalier's sword.

"Good idea," Jasmine said as she glanced around her surroundings.

"Oh," he said suddenly, glancing at her over his shoulder. "My employer is in a village down South. I need someone to go and get her," he said and he raised his tome, followed by a murderous shriek. Jasmine nodded before walking backwards, trying to get a better view of the landscape and the enemies.

"Marcus!" she shouted and as she started to run toward him, a raindrop fell on her head. Pausing for a moment, she looked up at the sky with a frown only to have another raindrop fall on her forehead. This one was followed by others and she looked back down to see Marcus looking at her expectedly.

"I need you to go to that village down South," she said, pointing to it. "Ask for someone named…" she trailed off, glancing back at Erk to see him battling an archer. "Ask for someone that Erk works for?" she said, sounding unsure of herself as she shrugged and Marcus nodded before pausing for a moment.

"Who's Erk?"

"Oh, that's Erk," she said, pointing to the purple-headed mage. "He's a mage, and he's going to join our group only if we get his employer."

"And his employer's the one that's in the village?"

"Yes," she said, nodding and Marcus nodded, turning around and riding off. Staring at the iron blade in her hand, Jasmine started to walk back toward Merlinus's tent to hand it to him.

"Where are my reinforcements?" Erik shrieked as he dodged a swing from Bartre.

"I don't know, my lord, there must be a problem," a Cavalier said as he swung his lance down, hitting Oswin on his armored shoulder from behind. As he turned to look at the Cavalier, Lowen came rushing forward and struck the enemy right beneath the armor. He shrieked as Lowen pulled the lance out and blood gushed out and onto the grass below.

"Good one, Lowen!" Oswin said with a smile and the teal haired boy beamed.

Hector raised his ax and ran forward, jumping up as he brought it down toward an enemy archer's head. The archer dodged it and Hector's ax, once again, got stuck down into the grass, which was now getting slimy from the rain. The archer took a few steps back as Hector struggled, putting his arrow on his bow and pulling his arm back. He fell over, an arrow sticking out of his neck before he could have the chance to let go. Rebecca smiled and put the back of her hand to her forehead, sighing in relief.

"Jasmine!" Marcus shouted as he battled a pirate. "Jasmine!" he shouted louder and the tactician ducked a swing from a hand ax before turning to look at him. "I need some help down here!" he shouted as he dodged the pirate's ax. Nodding, Jasmine turned to look at Guy and Matthew.

"Guy, Matthew, I want you two to go help Marcus," she shouted over the pouring rain and the two nodded, quickly finishing off the enemies they were battling before running down South. Guy nearly slipped on some mud, earning a laugh from Matthew as the two made it to the pirates and Marcus.

Eliwood slashed his sword forward and the archer took a step back, dodging the attack. Eliwood took a step forth, slashing his sword diagonally and the archer dodged it once again. Grabbing an arrow, the archer took steps forth, ducking the attack from Eliwood and he attempted to stab the lord with his arrow. Eliwood quickly slashed his sword through the arrow and it broke in half, falling to the ground.

"Eliwood, watch out!" Hector shouted and Eliwood turned to see Erik's silver lance swinging for his head. He ducked quickly and Erik stopped his horse, pulling his lance back. Eliwood quickly stood back up and stabbed the archer in the chest. Pulling his sword out of the fallen body, he turned to block the attack from Erik.

"Ha, you think we're still in school?" Erik said as he easily dodged Eliwood's attack. "I see you didn't learn much, judging from your attacks!" he said with a grin as he dodged another swing and he urged his horse down, for it's front legs had been up in the air, dodging the attacks. Swinging his lance down, Eliwood barely dodged it and he didn't have any time to dodge the next attack, hitting him in the arm. "First I'll kill you, then that bastard Hector!" Erik said as he swung his lance down once more but it was blocked by a side of an ax. Pulling back as Hector jumped up in the air, he was hit on the head by the side of Hector's ax. He fell off his horse and lay in the muddy grass, unconscious. His horse neighed before turning around and running off, a hoof stomping on Erik's back. Matthew laughed at the motion as he walked up to the rest of his group, Guy, Marcus, and Priscilla following.

"Serra!" Hector shouted as he noticed Eliwood's bleeding arm and she rushed over a few moments later.

"Nice one, young master!" Matthew called out as he looked down at Erik and his eyes widened at the silver lance, which had fallen down with its owner. "Ooh, that looks nice," he said and walked over to Erik, ducking a swing from an axe man. He grabbed the silver lance, examining it and smirking.

"What are you going to do with that? You can't use a lance," Hector grumbled as he heaved his ax onto his shoulder, glancing down at Matthew. Eliwood was fully healed and he stood back up, thanking Serra.

"I could give it to Marcus or Lowen. Probably Marcus, this thing's pretty heavy," he said before shouldering it, grinning at Hector. He rolled his eyes and snorted.

"C'mon, we don't have time for this."

"We're almost done," Matthew said in a matter of a fact tone, gesturing toward the only enemies left. Dorcas and Oswin were battling the axe man whilst Rebecca and Lowen were battling the Cavalier. "There's only a Cavalier and an axe man left. Oh, make it just an axe man," he said as the Cavalier fell off his horse. "The axe man should be easy to defeat," he added and Hector nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure-hey!" he glared down at the thief. "Not all axe men are easy to defeat, especially not me!"

Matthew snickered. "That took you a moment."

"Are you calling me stupid now?" Hector huffed and Matthew only grinned before dashing off. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" he said as he chased after him.

The axe man fell as both Oswin's lance and Dorcas's ax pierced through him. Finished with the enemies, everyone regrouped near the entrance of the castle before going inside, dragging Erik inside as well. They searched the castle for Lord Darin, and in the end, never found him.

Erik groggily sat up, holding the back of his head and wincing. He groaned and he placed his hands on his back, feeling the pain his horse had left. Hector heard him and turned to look at him.

"Ah, you finally woke up from your nap," he said with a grin and Erik looked at him, his eyes widening as he stood up.

"Hector! What are you doing here?" he questioned, glancing around his surroundings. "Get out, this is my castle!"

"Tell me, Erik, where is your father?" Eliwood demanded as he walked up to the two, standing beside Hector. "We've searched the entire castle, and nobody's here."

Erik's eyes bulged. "Don't be silly! My father would never abandon…Ephidel," he muttered, looking away and Eliwood furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Ephidel? Who's that?"

Erik didn't respond and Hector took a step forth, his eyebrows furrowing. "Speak, you vermin! I'll kill you right here and now if you don't!" he snarled, balling up his hands into fists, and Eliwood put a hand on his friend's armored chest.

"Calm yourself, Hector," he said and Hector let out a wordless growl, shrugging Eliwood's hand off as he took a few steps back. "Erik, you must tell us everything you know."

"Ephidel…he came a year ago, and my father…" he was hesitant and looked like it pained him to speak of this. "Changed. Ostia's position had always bothered my father, but he'd never go so far as to speak of rebellion."

"Rebellion?" Eliwood said, his eyes widening as did Hector's.

"Ephidel had something, and with it, he convinced my father to set the plan in motion. He sent many envoys to the other marquesses, and Marquess Pherae approved."

"What?" Hector said as he raised his eyebrows and Eliwood looked utterly stunned for a few moments before shaking his head vigorously.

"My father would never do such a thing!"

"I don't care whether or not you believe this. It's the truth," Erik said with a shrug. "Your father came months ago to speak with my father. They argued that day. Marquess Pherae didn't trust Ephidel, and he tried to convince my father to have Ephidel go back to the Black Fang. My father refused and Marquess Pherae left the castle. I haven't seen or heard of him since. He's probably dead," he added with an evil smirk and Eliwood furrowed his eyebrows, taking a step forth.

"My father is not dead!" he said and Hector put a big hand on his shoulder.

"Shut up, Erik, Marquess Pherae is still alive!" he snapped, glaring at Erik.

"Eliwood said he wanted to hear the truth, and I gave it to him. I doubt Marquess Pherae is alive. He betrayed them, and they wouldn't let him live!" he said and laughed loudly like a maniac. Eliwood stood limp for a moment before turning around and dashing off, slamming the double doors open as he ran outside.

"Eliwood!" Hector shouted, chasing after him. He ran out of the castle to find Eliwood's back to him, his fists clutched by his side.

"My father is alive," he said in a strained voice, turning around to face Hector. "He supports rebellion…there must be a reason…there has to be," he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair.

"I know," Hector said gently. "We'll find your father and discover the truth. We'll talk to my brother after that."

"I'm sorry," Eliwood murmured, looking down at the ground, looking like he was on the verge of tears. Hector put his hand on his shoulder.

"I don't want any apologies! I came here to help, and I'm helping!" Hector said with a reassuring grin. "Your father's alive, and we're going to go get him!"

"Yes," Eliwood said, managing a small smile as he glanced up at his friend. "Thank you, Hector."

"What else are friends for?"

* * *

><p>"It's so nice to have a castle all to myself," Serra chirped as she sat down on the couch beside Erk. "I could get used to this." Erk sighed and rolled his eyes, standing up and starting to walk away. Serra quickly stood up and chased after him.<p>

"Leave me alone, Serra, I just want to read," he grumbled as she caught up to him and he looked at her.

"You read too much! Your head's going to explode from too much reading!" she huffed and he rolled his eyes.

"My head can't explode from reading too much."

"You never know," she said, waggling a finger in front of his face.

Grumbling a few words underneath his breath and tightening his grip on his book, he started to run. Serra tried to keep up and Erk took a sharp left, opening the first door he saw and he walked in. He quietly and quickly closed it, his back against the door as he listened for Serra with closed eyes. She was calling for him and as he heard her footsteps walk by, he held his breath. Once hearing the footsteps get farther, he let out a deep breath and opened his eyes only to have his jaw drop. Shelves surrounded him, books on every single one. Erk took a few steps forward, glancing around at the many books. He grabbed a number of them before plopping down on the sofa in the middle of the room. He put the pile of books on the table in front of the sofa, grabbing only one. Smiling, he opened the book and took a whiff of it. He quietly thanked Serra in the back of his mind.

The newest addition to the small army took a sip of her tea before gently putting it back down on the table. Rebecca sat next to her, eating an apple.

"It's a beautiful day today, isn't it?" Rebecca asked, glancing over at Priscilla beside her. She nodded, smiling.

"Yes, it is."

"Do you want to go play outside?" she asked, her eyes gleaming in excitement.

Priscilla shook her head, her short red hair swishing. "No thank you. I'm a bit tired."

"Oh, okay," Rebecca said, still remaining cheerful as she stood up. Lowen walked into the room, not even seeming to notice the two as he rummaged through the cupboards and he pulled out a couple of bananas. Peeling one and putting the others aside, he turned around and paused for a moment as he noticed the two girls.

"Don't mind us," Priscilla said and he took a bite of his banana.

"Do you want to go outside with me, Lowen? We can do whatever you want!" Rebecca asked excitedly and he smiled, nodding as he chewed his banana. Grabbing his handful of bananas, he followed Rebecca outside from the door in the back, by the kitchen. Moments later Marcus walked into the kitchen, his eyes scanning the room.

"Excuse me, Priscilla," he said and she turned to look at him. "Have you seen Lowen?"

"Yes, he just went outside with Rebecca," she answered and he mumbled a few words underneath his breath before turning around and walking off. Priscilla sighed quietly, putting her elbow against the table as she leaned her cheek against her hand.

Oswin, Dorcas, Bartre, Guy, Merlinus, and Matthew were all playing a game of cards together. Bartre groaned, grabbing onto his head as the cards continued to fling toward him.

"There are too many cards!" he huffed as he grabbed the handful that was waiting at his feet and he passed them to Matthew beside him. Matthew quickly traded a card with another before quietly grabbing a spoon from the middle. Unaware of this, the others continued to play the game. Dorcas noticed after a few moments as he handed Oswin a card from the deck and he grabbed a spoon. Guy grabbed one, followed by Oswin and Merlinus. Bartre paused for a moment, frowning.

"Why did you guys stop handing me cards?" he asked, lowering his hand that held his four cards to look at the five. Noticing that there were spoons in each of their hands, he groaned, throwing his cards to the ground, crossing his arms across his chest.

"You lose," Matthew teased with a grin and Bartre glared at him.

"This game is stupid!" he huffed, standing up and walking off.

"It's his loss," Matthew said with a shrug as he collected all the cards, putting them in the deck and shuffling them. "Let's see who loses next."

* * *

><p>"What are we going to do? It's been days since we've been here and we don't know what to do!" Eliwood said to Hector, who could only shrug.<p>

"Darin couldn't have gone far."

"Surely Lord Uther would've heard of this news! Why hasn't he showed any action?" Eliwood questioned, looking up at Hector curiously and confusedly.  
>"I'm sure he has his reasons," Hector said. "He has other concerns tying his hands right now."<p>

"What do you mean?" Eliwood asked, frowning slightly.

"It's Bern. The King's been acting up lately, and we're worried about it. If he sees something wrong, he might invade. My brother's only recently become Marquess and head of the Lycian League. He can't allow another country to see any weaknesses."

"Hector, you're his brother. Won't people find it strange that you're not with him?"

Hector snorted. "I'm well-known as the lout. If I _were_ at court, they'd sense something wrong," he said with a laugh and Eliwood gave him a small smile.

"You're not so proud of that reputation, are you?"

Hector shrugged. "Not in the least, but hey, I'm not going to change myself to please some royalties. I am who I am, and they just have to deal with it," he said with a large grin and Eliwood chuckled.

"Good, that's the Hector I know!" he said and there was some loud knocking on the door. "Come in," Eliwood said and Marcus burst into the room, a bit red-faced.

"Lord Hector! Lord Eliwood!" he said franticly as he rushed up to them.

"What is it, Marcus?"

"I've got news! A messenger from the East tells me that Castle Caelin has fallen to a surprise attack from Marquess Laus!"

"Caelin?" Eliwood repeated, his eyebrows jutting up and Hector shook his head.

"That bastard."

"Is Lord Hausen alright?"

"We have no news on Lord Hausen or his granddaughter, Lady Lyndis," Marcus said with a sad shake of his head.

"I never expected them to attack Caelin…" Eliwood murmured.

"What should we do?" Marcus questioned, looking at the two.

"They must be alive, right? There's only one thing we can do!" Hector said.

"We ride to their aid! There must still be time!" Eliwood said as he walked out of the room, Hector and Marcus hot on his heels. They quickly walked down the long staircase to find their comrades socializing by the fireplace on the sofas.

"We're leaving!" Hector shouted loudly and everyone turned to look at him. "Gather all your supplies!" he shouted as he reached the bottom of the stairs and the group quickly split off into the castle, into their rooms to gather their belongings. Hector, Eliwood, and Marcus followed suit, running into their rooms to gather their supplies.

Everyone gathered outside, putting most of the supplies onto the horses. It was only noon, giving them some time to march.

"We head to Caelin!" Hector shouted before turning around and Jasmine froze, her eyes widening.

"Caelin?" she said in disbelief, running up to the two lords in the front. "Why are we going to Caelin? Is something wrong? Did something happen?" she asked quickly, dashing up beside Eliwood, looking at the two lords as they faced her. They continued to walk on as they spoke, their comrades behind them.

"Caelin's been attacked by Marquess Laus," Eliwood said as gently as he could and she paled.

"What? Lyn-is she alright? What about Sain? And Kent? Wil and Florina?" Jasmine questioned desperately, looking at Eliwood for answers, her eyes pleading.

"I'm sure they're all fine," Hector said and she glanced up at him. "We have to hurry, though, and your questions aren't helping!"

Her gaze stiffened. "I'm worried about my friends, okay?"

"Well your worrying isn't helping them or us!"

"Hector's got a point, you know, Jasmine. We need to get there as fast as possible, and worrying isn't going to help them," he paused for a moment, giving her a gentle look. "I know you're close with Lyndis and all those others, but if we want to help, we must hurry," he said and Jasmine slowed down, separating from the two lords and instead getting mixed with her other comrades. Jasmine closed her eyes for a moment, stopping in her walk to take a deep breath. Opening her eyes a moment later, she continued to walk with her comrades and murmured something.

"Please be safe."

* * *

><p><em>Lyn's coming up in the ne<em>x_t chapter or two! I'm excited!_


	5. Chapter 5

"We've finally reached Caelin," Hector said as he glanced around. "Tell me, Eliwood, is that Lyndis a beauty?"

Eliwood's eyes widened and he looked at Hector incredulously. "Hector!"

"What, is she?" he asked with a grin and Eliwood blushed.

"Well…err…yes it must be her Sacae heritage…she's err…quite stunning," he grumbled quietly, looking away and Hector snickered.

"The archers are advancing!" Rebecca said as she dashed up to the lords and they frowned.

"Why would they do that?" Eliwood questioned and Hector shrugged.

"Lord Eliwood, look!" Marcus shouted, pointing up at the sky. "There's a Pegasus knight!" he said and Eliwood and Hector looked up, as did the rest of the group to find a lavender haired girl flying toward them.

"Lord Eliwood!" she shouted as loudly as she could with her quiet voice and his eyes widened.

"Florina?" he shouted back and Jasmine froze for a moment, stopping in her scan of the landscape to turn around and look up at the sky. "Florina, fly lower!" Eliwood shouted as he noticed arrows starting to fly through the air and she looked confused, glancing over her shoulder. Screaming, she quickly dodged them but lost balance and fell off her Pegasus, falling through the air.

"FLORINA!" Jasmine and Eliwood both screamed simultaneously and Jasmine frantically looked around. Her eyes widened once looking at Hector and she glanced up at the quickly falling Florina before back at Hector.

"Hector, hold your arms out!" she ordered and he frowned.

"What-"

"Just do it!" she interrupted with a snap and he shrugged, extending his arms out. A moment later Florina fell in his arms and he looked at her, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He put her down and looked at Jasmine with a grin.

"Good one!"

"Watch out!" she shouted and before he could have the chance to say anything, a Pegasus fell on top of him.

"Florina, are you alright?" Eliwood asked as he rushed to her side and she opened her eyes, nodding dizzily.

"Yes, I-I think I'm alright," she murmured quietly, standing up.

"That was quite a fall. You lost your balance and fell."

"Yes…but…h-how am I unharmed? I fell from such a height…"

"You got lucky. I didn't," Hector said as he walked up behind her and she turned around to face him and she yelped, hiding behind Eliwood. "You fell right on top of me!"

"Hector saved you," Eliwood said with a smile and Florina took a step forth hesitantly, now standing beside Eliwood and facing Hector.

"I saved no one! I merely gave her somewhere to land! A bale of hay would've done better than me!"

"Oh…I…I'm so…sorry," Florina said quietly, looking down at the grass.

"You were lucky, Florina. If you had fallen on me, I couldn't have caught you!" he paused for a moment, smiling in amusement at Hector. "Or your Pegasus either!"

Hector rolled his eyes and looked at Jasmine. "Thanks for the warning," he said sarcastically and she smiled, shrugging.

"I tried."

Florina turned to face her and her eyes widened. "J-Jasmine?" she asked as she dashed up to her and Jasmine smiled.

"Hey Florina," she said and the smaller girl quickly embraced the tactician. Jasmine stiffened slightly before chuckling gently, hugging back. "It's been a while."

She let go of her and looked up at the tactician, smiling and nodding. "Y-yes, it has...what are you doing here?"

"I'm the tactician of this group, working for Lord Hector," she said, gesturing toward the large lord. "What are you doing here? Well, I mean, why'd you fly over here?"

"Oh! Yes! Lord Eliwood," she said and faced the redhead. "Lady Lyndis is beyond that forest. She's waiting for a chance to assault the castle," she said and Jasmine's eyes widened but she smiled in relief.

"She's what?" Eliwood said loudly with wide eyes but he paused for a moment, letting out a relieved sigh. "At least she's safe."

"Yes, she's fine," Florina said and nodded. "However, Lord Hausen's been captured and is still in the castle."

"I see. Let's go then!"

* * *

><p>"Nice strike, milady!" Sain called out as Lyn killed an opponent and she smiled up at him.<p>

"Thank you, Sain."

"Ah, such a lovely smile you have," he said dreamily and she rolled her eyes.

"We have no time for this, Sain. If you haven't noticed," she said as she ducked a swing from an axe man and she sliced his leg. He yelped and lost balance, allowing her to stab him in the chest. "We're in the middle of a battle."

"Why the hell are there so many soldiers?" Hector snarled as he chopped off a Cavalier's head.

"Watch out, Lord Hector, to the left!" Serra shrieked and when Hector turned to his left he found nobody there. "_My_ left!" she shrieked and Hector quickly turned to his right to find a fallen swordsman, Guy standing behind the corpse. "I'd be dead if Guy weren't here," Hector said, giving Serra a look.

She pursed her lips. "I was just trying to help."

Rebecca opened her eyes to find the Cavalier in front of her dead, fallen off his horse with blood pouring out of his back. She looked up to see Lowen on his horse and she grinned widely.

"Wow that was amazing! Thanks Lowen!" she said happily and he looked a bit embarrassed before nodding.

"We seem to be done with this area," he said, glancing around. "We should continue on to the East, where the others are," he said and Rebecca nodded.

"Oswin and Eliwood!" Jasmine shouted as she ducked from a flying hand ax and the two glanced over at her. "Continue on East! I think there's a-" she was cut off when she dodged a sword attack from a Cavalier. He continued to attack and as she continued to avoid the attacks, Eliwood looked concerned, starting to run toward her. He abruptly stopped when Florina came swooping down and pierced the Cavalier in the back from behind. He let out an ear piercing shriek before falling off his horse, which ran off.

"Are you two alright?" Eliwood called out.

"Yeah, thanks! You can continue on East with Oswin now! Go buy supplies!" she shouted and Eliwood nodded before walking off with Oswin. "Thanks Florina, I owe you one," Jasmine said to Florina and the lavender haired girl blushed, looking away.

"It was nothing."

"What are you talking about? You've improved a lot!"

"You are too kind, Jasmine."

"Watch out!" she shouted as she pointed at a nearby archer and Florina turned around to face it with wide eyes. Quickly tugging on Huey's reigns, she flew up in the air and luckily avoided the arrow. However, with her flying up in the air now, the archer handling the ballista noticed her and quickly took aim. "FLORINA!" Jasmine shouted and glanced around her surroundings frantically. "Marcus, go take out that ballista!" she shouted and he glanced at her over his shoulder before nodding and running off. Looking back up at the sky, her face paled as she saw Florina falling down through the sky with her Pegasus following.

"Did you guys hear that?" Matthew asked, glancing over his shoulder and Guy glanced over his before quickly dodging an attack. Noticing a Cavalier riding toward Priscilla, he quickly dashed off to protect her and when Matthew turned back around, Guy was gone. Instead, Bartre and Dorcas were nearby, battling an enemy each.

"I only hear screams," Bartre said as he swung his ax around and the archer let out a scream before his head was chopped off. "See?"

"I heard nothing unusual," Dorcas said as he ducked a swing from a hand ax and Bartre turned around to help him out. Matthew glanced back over his shoulder but shrugged.

Erk had to admit that it was somewhat annoying that he had to be the one to guard Merlinus's tent. The merchant was surprisingly sleeping away while the fortune lady was mumbling a few things underneath her breath. Erk glanced around his surroundings and sighed. There were no approaching enemies; everyone was to the East. He paused for a moment before a silly grin stretched across his face. It was a bit quieter over here, at least. There was no Serra. And he couldn't ask for more.

Jasmine dashed through the forest and quickly glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see that the three Cavaliers were still far back. They could and would catch up with her, what with them riding horses. At least she had managed to make a quick diversion. She couldn't help but smirk proudly at herself for that.

There was a quiet groan from her left and she quickly turned, continuing to run passed the thick bushes and trees. She stopped when she noticed Florina lying down on the ground, her arm around Huey as she lied down beside her. Quickly taking out some vulneries from her backpack, Jasmine walked up to the Pegasus knight.

"Florina!" she said quietly, not wanting to draw the attention of the Cavaliers, and she jumped a bit, facing her.

"Jasmine?"

"Are you alright?" she asked and glanced down at her bleeding arm. Without another word she gently pressed the vulnery against the wound and Florina winced. "Sorry, I know it hurts," Jasmine said gently and Florina took in a sharp breath.

"Huey is hurt," she said quietly and when Jasmine looked back at Florina she saw tears falling down her cheeks. "T-this is my fault…if I had noticed-"

"This is not your fault," Jasmine said reassuringly. "Actually, this is my fault," she said guiltily and bit down on her lower lip. "I should've figured out another way to take out that archer handling the ballista."

"T-this is not your fault," Florina said, wiping her tears away with her hand. "The ballista was too far away."

"But I could've…I could've used someone as bait!" she said as she realized what she could've done. "That way the arrows would've been used up!" she said and sighed in frustration, putting a hand up to her forehead. "I'm so stupid!" she said and before Florina could have the chance to respond, she continued. "You said that Huey is hurt? Can I go check on her?" she asked and Florina nodded, taking the vulnery from Jasmine and holding it down herself. Walking over to Huey, Jasmine bent down and noticed that one of her wings appeared to be crooked. "That doesn't look good."

As Florina opened her mouth to respond, she let out a small squeak. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, Jasmine stood up to find the three Cavaliers standing in front of them.

"It looks like our lucky day, gents," the Cavalier in the middle said, smirking. "How lucky are we to find two beautiful ladies?"

"Very lucky," the one to the right of him said.

"How about you girls come along with us? We'll let you live, I'm sure Lord Darin wouldn't mind."

"He does like beautiful girls," the one on the left pointed out and the two others nodded in agreement. Florina started to quiver and Jasmine walked up in front of her, holding her arms out protectively in front of Florina.

"I don't think so, pal!"

The one in the middle raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? If you don't, you'll just have to die right here and now."

"I'd rather die than join Darin and his nasty gang," she hissed.

"Do not insult Lord Darin!" he snarled and charged in toward her, raising his sword. She quickly turned around, grabbing Florina's arm, and she flung her aside. Florina rolled away softly through the grass and she sat up, looking up at Jasmine in horror. As the Cavalier swooped down his lance, Jasmine took in a sharp breath and protectively crossed her arms in front of her face. The Cavalier stopped with the lance a mere few inches away from her chest and he fell off his horse with an arrow sticking out of his neck. The other two Cavaliers quickly glanced around their surroundings.

"Show yourself!" one of them shouted, readying his lance. Jasmine glanced at Florina sitting in bewilderment and gestured for her to stand up. Florina stood up and the two girls, along with Huey, started to slowly creep away. Despite her broken wing, the Pegasus could still walk.

"Hey!" one of the two Cavaliers shouted as he noticed them starting to escape. "Get back here!" he said and unsheathed his sword, starting to ride after them. He was quickly stopped as two Cavaliers rode in front of him, one with his green lance held high in the air.

"Nobody lays a scar on either of those sweet angels!" he said and charged toward the enemy Cavalier, his partner quickly following. The other enemy finally noticed this and when he tried to help save his partner, a nineteen year old woman went sailing through the air, stopping in front of him. Quickly tugging on his horse's reigns, the enemy attempted to slice her head off but failed miserably and instead got his own head cut off as she jumped and sliced it. The other Cavalier fell as well and an archer emerged from the bushes with a grin. The four faced Florina and Jasmine. Jasmine looked utterly stunned as she stared at them with wide eyes, her mouth open widely whilst Florina looked mildly surprised but pleased. The first to speak was the young woman, who wore a traditional Sacaen outfit and her long green hair was put in a ponytail.

"Jasmine!" Lyn squealed as she ran up to her and embraced her so roughly that the two girls toppled over. Laughing, the two girls stood back up and grinned widely at each other. Lyn embraced her old friend once more, and feeling her body go rigid before Jasmine could have the chance to hug her back, quickly let go. "Oh, I'm sorry Jasmine! I completely forgot!"

"I don't mind hugs, they make me feel…loved," Jasmine said with a small smile. "Well, as long as it's from a friend."

Lyn's smile returned. "I missed you! I can't believe it's already been a year! And look at you!" she said, gesturing to her outfit, which now consisted of an orange shirt and a white skirt. "I like your new outfit!"

"Oh really?" Jasmine asked, glancing down at herself and back at Lyn. "Serra forced me into it. It's not weird or anything right?"

Lyn smiled reassuringly. "You look very pretty, Jasmine."

She shook her head. "I'm not pretty at all, Lyn, and I wish was at least half as pretty as you are!" she said and as Lyn opened her mouth to respond, she continued. "I've missed you so much!"

"But you haven't missed her quite as much as you've missed me," a man around the age of nineteen said as he walked up to Jasmine. A black bandana was wrapped around his head and held back his brown hair that matched his honey brown eyes. He wore green armor and a smirk. "Ah, you still take my breath away!"

She blushed but laughed. "Oh Sain, I missed you too!"

"How about a hug for your knight in shining armor?" he asked with a grin, opening his arms. She hesitated for a moment, allowing Kent to hit Sain on the head with the back of his hand. Sain yelped and pursed his lips at Kent over his shoulder.

"Hey Jas, can you believe it's already been a year?" Wil said cheerfully as he walked up to her with a grin. The seventeen year old had brown hair with matching brown eyes and he wore a blue shirt with white pants. He wore shoulder armor and held a bow in one hand.

She smiled at him. "It's kind of hard to believe and by the way, I really missed you and that nickname," she said and gave him a quick hug, taking in a sharp breath as she did so. Sain pursed his lips and started to protest as Kent walked up to Jasmine.

"How have you been, Jasmine?" the redhead around the age of seventeen or eighteen asked with a polite smile. His armor matched the color of his hair and he wore brown pants that matched the color of his eyes.

"I've been good."

He nodded and glanced over at Florina behind her. "Are you alright, Florina?"

She gave him a small smile. "Y-Yes, I'm fine, but Huey…"

"One of Huey's wings appears to be broken," Jasmine clarified. "We should hurry and get back to the battle."

"All right," Lyn said and nodded. "Can Huey still walk?" she asked and Florina nodded. "Then let's go!"

* * *

><p>"The castle is yours once we defeat the foes inside the castle," Eliwood said to Lyn.<p>

"Thank you."

"I should receive no thanks. All of this happened because we routed Lord Darin at Laus. I take full responsibility."

"You told me about your father, Eliwood," Lyn said gently. "I would do the same thing in your position. What happened in Caelin is not your fault."

"Thank you," he said quietly and with a smile.

"Eliwood!" Hector said as he walked up to him. "We're moving into the castle!"

"All right," Eliwood responded and Lyn eyed Hector curiously.

"Who's that?"

"Hmm? Oh, Hector!" Eliwood called out and Hector walked back to him, looking a bit annoyed.

"What?"

"This is Lyndis," Eliwood said, gesturing toward Lyn and Hector raised his eyebrows, remembering what he had asked Eliwood earlier that day. "She's Lord Hausen's granddaughter. Lyndis, this is Hector. He's Lord Uther's brother."

"Lord Uther's brother?" Lyn asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes," Hector replied.

"I was watching the way he fights," she said to Eliwood. "He's not like you, Eliwood. He's somewhat like my own knights, but different still. He relies on so much power. It's like he's never been…"

"I haven't. I taught myself how to fight."

"I've no issue with that. But the way you swing that ax around…you're a threat to your allies! You should be more careful!" Lyn said and Hector raised an eyebrow.

"What did you say, woman?" Hector hissed, taking a step forth but was stopped as Eliwood extended his arm out.

"Lyndis! What's gotten into you?"

"Hmm?" she asked and paused for a moment. "Oh, sorry. I didn't intend to be so critical," she said and Hector didn't respond as he narrowed his eyes.

"Hector's style may be a tad dangerous, but there's no one I depend on more. You may think of him as a careless brute, but he's aware of his surroundings."

"The more you praise me, the less worthy I sound," Hector said with a roll of his eyes and Eliwood cracked a smile.

"Lyndis, once you fight alongside Hector, I'm sure you'll understand."

"I'm sure you're right. I apologize, Hector," she said as she looked at him. "I'm honored to have your help."

"No apology necessary. I'm glad I can lend a hand," he said and Matthew walked up to Hector.

"Milord, when should we-"

"You!" Lyn gasped, pointing at Matthew, who faced her. "You're-"

"No I'm not," Matthew said quickly, turning around. "You've got the wrong fellow!"

"Stop right there, Matthew!" Lyn said and he stopped, smirking as he turned around to face her.

"You saw right through my disguise, didn't you, Lady Lyndis?"

She looked confused. "What? How could I not recognize you? You're…you!"

Eliwood looked at the two curiously but Hector seemed like he understood the situation. "You two know each other?"

"Yes," Lyn said, nodding. "He traveled with me to Caelin. What are you doing here?"

He only smirked and Lyn pursed her lips but she smiled slightly as she looked at Jasmine beside her. "Jasmine?" she asked and Matthew's face contorted.

"He's a spy working for Ostia," Jasmine said, smiling slightly at Matthew, who groaned.

"You just had to tell her."

"A spy? I thought you were a thief," Lyn said to Matthew.

"Shouldn't we go inside the castle now?" he said, looking at Hector, quickly changing the topic. Lyn raised an eyebrow at the spy but nodded nonetheless.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>"Looks like there are still a lot of Laus soldiers in the castle," Hector said and he looked at the two lords beside him.<p>

"Where are the Caelin guards?" Eliwood questioned Lyn.

"I think about half of them were killed in the surprise attack. The survivors must be here somewhere…"

"They might be locked away as prisoners. Right, let's rescue them!" Hector said.

"I wish we had more power to make up for our poor numbers," Eliwood said with a small frown.

"Time to get inside! Let's reclaim the castle!" Hector said, throwing a fist in the air.

"Hold on Grandfather, we'll be there shortly," Lyn murmured quietly.

"Jasmine!" Hector barked at the tactician, who was looking at the map that Kent had given her. She looked up to see Hector gesturing for her to come and she did. "What's the plan?"

"Okay, well, I'd like to have Florina guard Merlinus's tent because with the walls and everything, it'd be difficult for her to fly and battle. I'd like Marcus to stay there with her. Lowen, Matthew, and Bartre," she called out and the three went to her side a moment later. "I want you guys to go in this way," she said, pointing to the large corridor on the bottom left of the map. "Matthew, I think there might be a few chests in that room…" she trailed off and he smirked widely.

"Now you're ordering me to steal, eh?"

"You know you would've anyway," she said and he shrugged, not denying it. "Everyone else will continue North, take a left here," she said, pointing to a left. "I want Hector and Oswin up front, along with Eliwood and Lyn," she said as Eliwood called his comrades over to listen to the plan. "Behind them I want Rebecca, Sain, and Kent," she said and at the mention of Rebecca's name, Wil looked at her, his eyes widening. "I want Serra and Priscilla in the back, with Wil and Dorcas in front of them. Erk and Guy, you two stay behind them. Since this is the prison," she said, pointing to it. "I would like Sain and Kent to go save the hostages. Two familiar faces would give them some hope. While we're at it, I think Matthew, or if anybody happens to have door keys, should open all locked rooms. There might a few enemies or chests. Matthew, Lowen, Bartre, Sain, and Kent, when you five are done with your areas, you head up North, where the others are battling. We continue on to the throne and finish it. Does everyone understand this plan?" she asked and looked up from her map to her comrades. They nodded and a few mumbled 'yes'.

"Where will you go, Jasmine?" Lyn asked and Jasmine paused for a moment before answering.

"I'd like to stay with the main group, in the back."

"Let's go!" Hector said with a grin and there was some bustling around before everyone managed to get in position. "Jasmine," Hector said before she walked off and she turned to face him. "We can't count on the captured Caelin soldiers to be able to fight. We'll have to protect them as much as possible."

"All right," she said and nodded.

"What?" he said suddenly, glancing around and she jumped. "That chill feeling…someone's watching…and wants me dead!" he said and her eyes widened. "No sense in worrying, though," he said and looked back down at Jasmine. "I'll deal with it when it happens. Let's go, Jasmine!" he said and she nodded.

"For Caelin!" Lyn, Sain, Kent, Florina, and Wil said simultaneously, raising their weapons.

* * *

><p>Eliwood dodged the black ball that had appeared out of nowhere and attacked him. He furrowed his eyebrows, glancing around. "What was <em>that<em>?"

"What was what?" Hector grunted as he swung his ax around, missing his opponent's head as he took a step back. The swordsman took a quick step forth, ducking Hector's next attack, and stabbed him in the leg. Hector let out a loud groan and fell to the floor, his Wolf Beil dropping beside him.

"Hector!" Eliwood shouted and rushed to his side as Lyn ran toward the enemy swordsman, her Mani Katti gripped tightly in her hand. In one high jump, she brought her sword down and it sliced right through the swordsman, who dropped dead to the floor. "Serra!" Eliwood called out. "Priscilla!" he shouted desperately, glancing around for either one of the two healers. Serra came dashing out from the back moments later and quickly healed Hector. Another black ball came flashing and Serra shrieked, taking a quick step back and dodging the attack.

"What the hell was that?" Hector grumbled as he stood back up, shouldering his Wolf Beil as Serra left in order to heal somebody else.

"That's the same thing that just attacked me!" Eliwood exclaimed and Lyn frowned. Another one popped out in front of them and everybody took a few steps back. Annoyed, Hector swung his ax through the black floating ball but it was useless, merely going right through it.

"I know what that is!" Lyn said suddenly and the two looked at her. "That's dark magic from a Shaman!"

"Great. Now all we have to do is find out where he's hiding," Hector grumbled, glancing around.

"You," a redheaded mercenary said as he faced Priscilla and she looked confused. The young man had a hard face, his brown eyes cold, but he looked a bit surprised as he looked at her.

"Hmm?"

"Can it be?"

"I…"

"You don't…recognize me. That's not surprising. You were so young when we were separated."

Her eyes widened and she did a double take. "What? Are you…are you Raymond, my brother Raymond?"

"You've grown, Priscilla," he said quietly and her eyes widened. As she opened her mouth to respond, a male voice intervened.

"Priscilla, there you are! We need you to heal Erk!" Dorcas said and paused for a moment as he noticed Raven. "I'll deal with him," he said and as he took steps forth, Raven unsheathed his sword, and Priscilla let out a squeal.

"NO!" she shouted and the two both paused, looking up at her. "Sir Dorcas, this is Ray-"

"Raven," he interrupted and her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him. "I know Priscilla."

"Priscilla," Dorcas said hastily, remembering why he had come. "Erk."

"Yes," she said, nodding and she pulled on the reigns of her horse. Glancing down at Raven for one last time, she hurried off after Dorcas. Looking after where she had gone, Raven looked down at the sword in his hand and he lifted it, looking at it curiously.

"But we can fight, sir!" a knight protested and Sain looked down at him from his horse.

"I appreciate your dedication to Caelin, soldier, but I have orders from Lord Hector that you three should rest."

"But sir-"

"Do as you are told, soldier!" Kent interrupted with a snap and he quickly fell silent.

"I apologize, Commander Kent, Commander Sain," he said quietly and Sain grinned down at him.

"It's no problem! Like I said, I appreciate your dedication to Caelin."

"Here come the reinforcements," Marcus said, raising his silver lance. "Are you with me, Lady Florina?" he asked, glancing up at Florina, who nodded.

"Y-yes," she said quietly, lifting her lance.

He nodded. "Good," he said and charged off toward the Cavaliers, quickly followed by Florina on her healed Pegasus.

"I am Bernard, Knight Commander of Laus!" a large and heavily armored man shouted as the three lords walked into the throne room. "I am much stronger than Bauker. You pesky children cannot defeat me!"

"We'll see about that!" Hector roared, raising his Wolf Beil as he charged toward him and Bernard swung his lance toward him as if it were a baseball bat. It hit him and Hector was flung back against the wall with such force that he created a dent in the wall.

"You'll pay for that!" Eliwood said as he ran forward and slashed his Rapier at the Knight Commander. It hit his armor and didn't even dent it. Laughing, Bernard struck his lance forth and Eliwood took a quick step to the left, barely avoiding the attack. As he tried to strike again, Lyn ran forward, her sword high up in the air as she attempted to slice his throat. Her attempt failed when he flung her back with his lance the same way he had done with Hector, who was now running toward Bernard. He swung his ax around and it hit Bernard square in the chest armor. As he pulled his ax out, there was a visible cut made in Bernard's armor.

"This is for Caelin!" Lyn shouted as she ran toward Bernard and as he turned to look at her, she was nowhere to be seen. Little did he know that she was up in the air and was now coming down, her sword colliding with the top of his head. He fell off the throne and lied in his puddle of blood that came oozing out his head.

"Grandfather," Lyn whispered suddenly, looking up from the dead body as she looked around her surroundings. "GRANDFATHER?"

"Look…there's blood on the throne," Hector said quietly as he noticed a few drops of it and Lyn looked horrified.

"No…no! Grandfather!" she shrieked and Eliwood put a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, Lyndis! He might only be injured. Come, let us find him."

"Yes, you're right," she said, calming down. "I must be calm," she said and paused for a moment as she noticed something move in the shadows. "There…someone's there!"

Quickly putting a hand out in front of Lyn, Eliwood stepped in front of her. "Who's there? Show yourself!" A young woman emerged from the shadows, her bright magenta hair covering nearly half of her face.

"Leila!" Hector said as he recognized the woman and she smirked slightly.

"It's been a long time, Lord Hector."

"You know her?" Eliwood questioned.

"Yes, she works for Ostia…all right, she's a spy," he said after the look Eliwood gave him.

"Lord Eliwood of Pherae and Lady Lyndis of Caelin, am I correct? I am Leila, and it's an honor and pleasure to meet you," she said and bowed. "Lady Lyndis, Marquess Caelin is back there receiving treatment."

"My grandfather is safe?" Lyn said with wide eyes and Leila nodded. "Ah, Father Sky and Mother Earth, I thank you for your mercy!" Lyn cried, looking up.

"Leila, what are you doing here?"

"I'm following Lord Uther's orders, of course. I'm investigating Marquess Pherae's disappearance," she said, her eyes flickering toward Eliwood, who took a step forth.

"My father? What have you learned?"

"…come, we should talk in private," she said as she noticed their army emerge in the doorway, curious of whether or not they won the fight.

"We'll be back," Hector told his comrades before following Leila, Lyn, and Eliwood into another room through the throne room.

"We should survey the castle," Marcus said as he glanced down at his comrades. "Just to make sure there aren't any hidden enemies left."

"Good idea," Jasmine said and nodded. "How about you, Lowen, Sain, and Kent? You guys are all riding horses so it'd much faster than on foot," she said and the four nodded before turning around and riding off.

"Lady Jasmine, is that you?" a quiet male voice came from behind her and she turned to face him.

Her eyes widened. "Lucius?"

"It is you! My, it's been a long time!"

"Yeah, it's been far too long!" she said with a smile and a nod before pausing for a moment. "Have you been here the entire time and I haven't noticed?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I have only just joined this group."

"Oh, okay! That's great!"

"Ah, that's Lucius, isn't it?" Wil said as he walked up to them and looked at the blond. "It's been a year too long!"

"Wil?" Lucius said as Kent and Sain rode back up to them, finishing their survey of the castle. "Sain? Kent? Wow! Are you all doing well?"

"Yes, we've all continued to work at Caelin. What about you, Lucius? What have you been up to?" Sain asked and the monk smiled, shrugging.

"I've just been traveling around with a friend of mine."

"What's everyone crowding around?" Serra asked as she pushed her way into the small circle, glancing over at everyone.

"You, of course, sweetest Serra!" Sain said and she glanced up at him. "How can we take our eyes off of you?"

Serra giggled. "Oh Sain, it's going to be nice to have you in this army! You actually have the nerves to tell me that I'm beautiful!"

"Ah, Sister Serra," Lucius said from behind her and she twirled around to face him. Her eyebrows rose before a large grin formed on her lips.

"Lucius!" she squealed and hugged him roughly, causing him to stumble back a few steps. He chuckled quietly and gave her a few pats on the back. "Did you miss me? Well of course you did! I mean who wouldn't?" Serra babbled as she let go of him.

"Jasmine?" Florina asked quietly and the tactician looked at her.

"Yes, Florina?"

"Um…what's going on?"

"Look for yourself," she said, gesturing to the monk and Florina's eyes widened.

"L-Lucius?" she said quietly as Matthew and Erk both joined the now large circle.

"Oh, hey Lucius!" Matthew called out and the monk turned to look at him. His eyes widened and he looked at everyone around him.

"Wow, this is nearly everyone we traveled with last year!" he said and Jasmine smiled.

"Maybe this trip isn't going to be so bad after all."

* * *

><p><em>All right. I've recently started to play Fire Emblem again and I realized that I missed a chapter because I was getting the past chapters from Eliwood's version without realizing it. So, Heath was supposed to come up in the chapter I skipped (I'm playing Hector mode and this story is supposed to be Hector mode). I'll just put him in the chapter he's supposed to come up in Eliwood's story in the game.<br>_

_Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Raven and Jasmine haven't met each other yet...but will soon!_


	6. Chapter 6

"May I sit here?" Priscilla asked as she stopped behind Raven, holding her plate of food. He glanced back at her before nodding and she smiled, sitting down beside him on the log. "Oh, hello," she said as she noticed Lucius sitting on the other side. "Are you new to our army as well?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm Lucius."

"I'm Priscilla," she said, smiling in return and his eyes widened at the mention of her name.

"Lady Priscilla? What? Lord Raven…?" he said confusedly, looking at Raven for answers and Priscilla frowned in confusion at his reaction.

"Do we know each other?" she questioned Lucius, who faced her.

"Well, no, not necessarily."

Priscilla cocked her head to the side. "Then how-"

"Lucius!" Serra interrupted, quickly running up to him and tugging on his hand. "Come and join us!" she squealed, pointing to the large circle full of laughing people. Everyone was in the large circle other than the three and Hannah, who was off on her own, mumbling a few words underneath her breath.

Lucius looked at Raven for approval and the redhead nodded. Smiling, Lucius stood up and took his plate. He followed the chattering cleric to the large circle. A silence fell between the two siblings as laughs erupted through the camp.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you say your name was Raven?" Priscilla asked quietly and curiously.

"I've changed my name," he stated simply as he looked at the crackling fire. "Raymond is a name that I've…discarded."

"Ah…" she said quietly, nodding. "I see."

"Oh," he said as he glanced over at her. "I would prefer it if we keep our sibling relationship a secret."

"…All right, if you say so…surely you have your reasons. As long as we get to travel together, I'm happy," she said and he didn't respond, looking back at the fire.

"And he glared at us while the other guy burst out laughing!" Jasmine finished her story and was followed by laughs.

"Lucius, you just missed the funniest story!" Wil said as he laughed, noticing the blond take a seat in the grass beside Serra, who sat on a large boulder.

The monk smiled. "What was it about?"

The group exchanged looks and burst out laughing again. "What did we miss?" Serra demanded, crossing her arms across her chest.

Sain wiped a few tears away from his eyes. "You didn't miss much, sweetest Serra," he said between a few laughs, unable to keep his composure. Even quiet Florina was giggling and Kent was chuckling and shaking his head.

"Oh, how I wish I'd been there," Lyn said as she stopped laughing, wiping a few tears away from her eyes as well. "It would've been even funnier up close."

Serra frowned in annoyance. "What? Tell me the story! I missed it!"

"Sorry, too late," Jasmine said in a singsong voice and the cleric pursed her lips.

"I can't imagine you doing that!" Hector laughed. "You? Saying that, to a stranger? Impossible."

She smirked slightly and Lyn smiled at Hector. "You don't know Jasmine very well, then," she said and the two girls exchanged amused looks.

"All right now, time to go to sleep," Marcus said, standing up and clapping his hands. Groans followed as everyone looked up at him. "Come now, we all need our rest to start marching tomorrow."

"Good thing we got new tents," Oswin pointed out as he stood up. "Or there wouldn't have been enough room!"

"Oh yes, that reminds me, we all need to buddy up again for the tents!" Eliwood said loudly so everybody could hear him.

"I'm sticking it out with you," Hector said and patted Eliwood on the back, earning a laugh from him. The others grudgingly stood up and Sain grinned, glancing around at the ladies.

"Well, I for one wouldn't mind sharing a tent with any of you lovely ladies!" Sain declared, glancing around at them and smiling charmingly. "No worries, I shall protect you!"

He was bonked on the head with the back of Kent's hand. "Too bad, my friend, you're stuck with me."

"Ah, but what if the ladies find themselves in trouble? Surely-"

"Surely you being with them will be even more trouble!" Kent interrupted with a snap, followed by a few giggles. He started to drag Sain away and the green knight cried out, his arms stretched out toward the ladies. They exchanged confused looks and giggles.

"Is he always like that?" Rebecca questioned as Kent practically threw Sain into their tent.

"You get used to it," Lyn said with a small smile, glancing down at her.

"Lady Lyndis!" Florina said quietly as she walked up beside her. "Would you like to share a tent with me?"

"Of course, Florina," she said and paused for a moment, glancing over at Jasmine. "Maybe we can bunk three people?"

"I don't know, it might be crowded…we'll see if anybody's left over," Jasmine said, not wanting her friends to be uncomfortable with three people in a tent.

"Rebecca, you're bunking with me!" Serra declared as she walked up to the archer, tugging her away.

"What? Oh, well, okay I guess," she said and followed the pink haired cleric.

"Lord Raven, shall we?" Lucius questioned him and he glanced away from the fire. He nodded and stood up.

"Have a pleasant night, Ray…ven," Priscilla called out quietly after him and Lucius smiled and waved to her before they disappeared into a tent. Sighing quietly, the Troubadour stood up and walked over to the remaining people to see what was going on. She found Jasmine, Florina, and Lyn glancing around.

"What's going on?" she questioned, glancing around her surroundings, wondering where everyone had gone off to.

"Hmm? Oh, look, you could bunk with her, Jasmine!" Lyn said as she turned to look at Priscilla. "What's your name?"

"Priscilla, milady," she said, curtseying.

"Priscilla, then, is it all right if you and Jasmine share a tent?" she questioned before pausing for a moment, glancing at the brunette beside her. "Is that all right with you?"

She nodded. "Yes, you don't need to worry about me, Lyn," she reassured her and Lyn smiled.

"Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight."

* * *

><p>"Now that we're all here," Hector said as Jasmine and Wil came running up to the group, laughing. "We need to tell you where we're going. It's not like any of the places we've been before. We are going to Valor, the Dread Isle," he announced and whispers and gasps went across the group. He paused for a moment, glancing down at Eliwood beside him and he nodded.<p>

"As you all know, anyone that has stepped foot on that island is said to never come back," Eliwood said and paused for a moment. "This is going to be dangerous and deadly. If anyone doesn't want to come, they may leave now."

Everyone exchanged looks and Lyn took a few steps forth. "I'm with you guys. I'm staying for good, no matter how hard you try to get rid of me," she declared and Eliwood chuckled gently, nodding.

"Thank you, Lyndis."

"I'm staying too," Jasmine said, taking a step forth and smiling at the three lords. "I said I'm going to help you out, Eliwood, and I'm going to. Oh, and you too, Hector," she added and the blueheaded lord scowled at her whilst his redheaded friend chuckled.

Many more declarations of loyalty followed them and Eliwood beamed. "Thank you…thank you all. I greatly appreciate it."

Hector laughed, slapping his friend on the back. "Now let's go and get your old man back!"

* * *

><p>"We have so much to catch up on!" Wil said to Rebecca excitedly as he found her marching along beside Lowen. She glanced at him for a brief moment before looking back up at Lowen, continuing their conversation. "Rebecca?" he said and she clearly ignored him. "Excuse me, do you mind if I talk to her for a moment?" Wil asked Lowen, who nodded and left Rebecca no choice but to look back at the brunette. "Can you believe how long it's been? Well, I guess it's not too hard to believe, because you look different! Well, not too different, just older. Not really old, though!" he laughed and Rebecca gave him a look. "What?"<p>

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm still mad at you, Wil!"

He frowned deeply. "About?" he asked and she growled wordlessly, jogging off. "Wait, where are you going?" he called out after her but she didn't even glance back at him. He scratched the back of his head. "What'd I say?"

"Hi," Rebecca said as she stopped running and started to walk beside Serra. She stopped babbling to Erk, who let out a grateful sigh, and looked at the archer beside her.

"Hi Rebecca!" she squealed. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

Serra grinned widely. "Well, of course," she said and glanced back at Erk. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," he said and the moment she looked back at Rebecca, he ran off. The young archer giggled and Serra curiously tilted her head.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," Rebecca smiled, shaking her head. "Anyways-"

"Ah, can such beauty exist?" Sain called out and the two girls looked to their left to see the charming Cavalier ride toward them on his horse. "Sweet St. Elimine has blessed you both with the power of beauty."

Rebecca slightly raised an eyebrow at him and Serra giggled. "I knew you had a good taste in women, Sain," Serra said and Rebecca looked back at her, raising both her eyebrows.

"What can I say? I am cursed to be attracted to all you lovely ladies," he said, smiling down at her charmingly.

"More like they're cursed," Kent said as he passed by Sain, walking and leading his horse by the reigns. Rebecca giggled.

"Oh shush, Kent," Sain said, glancing back at him. "But at least you've managed to make this beautiful wildflower giggle," he said, smirking as he glanced back at Rebecca. "Such a beautiful laugh," he said wistfully.

"Err…I think Sir Marcus is calling for me!" she said and dashed off before he could further woo her.

"Ah, something must always stand in the way of our love!" he said after her. "…so, sweetest Serra," he said, grinning down at her. "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

* * *

><p>Jasmine grumbled a few words underneath her breath as she walked by the edge of the lake. She stomped around angrily, throwing up her hands.<p>

"…can't even have some pudding nowadays," she grumbled as she picked up a rock and chucked it into the lake. "…stupid…tactician can't even…after everything," were the only audible words that came out of her mouth as she ranted on and on. She continued to walk and stepped onto a handle of a sword that she didn't even notice. It flung up and nearly hit her. She was quick, though, and dodged the sword unscathed. "Who the _hell_ leaves a sword lying around in the grass?" she hissed angrily, kicking it.

"I do," a male voice came from behind her and she turned to see an angry looking redhead approach her. She raised an eyebrow but seemed to relax, though her fists stayed clenched at her side.

"That's not a good idea."

"Most people don't go around stomping on sword handles," he said as he bent down and grabbed his sword. "They usually notice it," he said as he sheathed it.

"Are you calling me stupid?" she demanded. She was still quite angry, and couldn't hide it at this point.

"Maybe," he said as he looked at her.

"I'm not in a very good mood," she hissed between clenched teeth. "So do not try me."

"And I'm never in a good mood," he snapped right back at her. "So don't try me!"

They stared at each other with hard eyes for a few moments before Raven turned around and walked off. Once sure that he was gone, Jasmine ran off to the closest tree and punched it, hard. She kicked and punched it until she got out of breath and finally stopped. She sighed and plopped down to the grass. She drew her knees up her chest and buried her face.

* * *

><p>"Will you cut that out?" Hector snapped at Hannah as she chanted to herself in front of the fire, her eyes closed and her hands clasped together. She opened her grey eyes to look straight into his impatient dark blue ones.<p>

"What? An old woman can't chant anymore?" she said in her raspy voice and Hector sighed.

"No, 'cause old women don't chant in the first place!"

"Hector!" both Eliwood and Lyn snapped at the same time and they looked at each other for a moment. Hector looked at the two on either side of him and groaned loudly.

"Great, now I have to get lectured by another person too!" he said to Lyn, who raised her eyebrows.

"Maybe if you were much more polite, you wouldn't have to get lectured."

"Maybe if you were-"

"Peace, Lyndis, Hector," Eliwood said. "There's no need to argue," he said and they glared at each other before finally starting to eat their dinner.

"I still can't remember everybody's names," Bartre grumbled to Dorcas as he chomped into his corn on the cob, allowing some juices to squirt out.

"It won't take you too long," Dorcas reassured. "It's a lot of names to remember at once."

"Yeah," Bartre said as he swallowed. "It is."

"Bartre," Marcus said in a stern voice as he wiped corn juice off his forehead with the back of his hand. "What did we talk about?"

Bartre opened his mouth to answer but no words came out for a few moments. "What _did_ we talk about?" he asked and Marcus sighed, shaking his head.

"Do you like the soup?" Lowen asked Erk beside him anxiously and the mage looked up from the book on his lap to look at the teal haired boy.

"Yes, it's very good."

Lowen smiled. "Great!" he said and they shared no other words as Erk went back to reading.

"Mm, this is delicious!" Merlinus, on the other side of Lowen, said as he dunked his spoon back into the soup.

"Thank you, Sir Merlinus!" the Cavalier beamed. "It's not nearly as good as your roasted dumplings. I must learn how to make those!"

Merlinus chuckled. "That's a secret, boy. I can't go around giving everyone my recipes, or it won't be special, will it?"

Lowen frowned but nodded. "Of course, sir."

Guy's face was a beet red as the thief in front of him burst out laughing, falling down onto the grass and clutching his stomach. "Shut up, Matthew," the Sacaen hissed but the brunette paid no mind to him, continuing to roll around in the grass and laugh. Grumbling a few words underneath his breath, he stood up and walked away from the laughing spy.

"Oh, will you shut _up_?" Serra huffed at Matthew. "Some of us are trying to have a conversation here!"

He glared at her and finally stopped laughing. "You're telling _me_ to shut up? You're the one who's always babbling on and on about a broken nail!" he said and quickly regretted the words that left his mouth as she looked down at her nail.

"That reminds me…" she started and the thief groaned loudly. Before she could have the chance to continue, he stood up and dashed off, quickly blending in with the dark of the night. The cleric frowned deeply before sticking her tongue out at the invisible spy and turned back to Oswin to start talking once more. He grumbled a few words underneath his breath about spies.

* * *

><p>"What are you looking at?" Rebecca asked Jasmine, craning her neck to see what the tactician was looking at.<p>

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Jasmine said and quickly looked away. She was too late, though. Rebecca had spotted what she was looking at and she giggled.

"He is handsome, isn't he?" she asked and Jasmine raised an eyebrow, smiling.

"What?"

"You were looking at Raven, weren't you?" Rebecca asked, gesturing with her head toward the redhead ahead of them.

"That's his name?"

Rebecca laughed. "Yes, I asked him."

"Oh, okay," Jasmine murmured quietly, looking away from Rebecca as they continued to walk.

"You should go talk to him!" Rebecca said and Jasmine looked back at her.

"What?"

"Go say hi!" she said excitedly, smiling. "You seemed so interested in him a few moments ago."

Jasmine laughed, shaking her head. "I'm not as outgoing as you, Rebecca. I can't just go up to someone whose name I just found out and say hi!"

"Well why not?" Rebecca huffed. "You can do it! You just have to believe in yourself!"

"Well I-"

"C'mon c'mon!" Rebecca urged. "I'll drag you there if I have to!"

"I already have enough friends, Rebecca," Jasmine said. "I don't need another one."

"You can never too many friends!" she said and grinned. "If we all had limits on how many friends we could have, you and I wouldn't be allowed to be friends!" she said and Jasmine stared at her, dumbfounded. She didn't say anything for a few moments, looking away from Rebecca. "Hello?" Rebecca said, waving a hand in Jasmine's face. "Is anybody home?"

Jasmine rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yes, somebody's home," she said and Rebecca laughed, putting her hand back by her side. "It's just that…oh never mind," she said, looking at Rebecca a bit guiltily. The archer was a kind and bubbly girl, but Jasmine couldn't consider her a friend yet.

Rebecca tilted her head to the right. "Are you okay?"

"…yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

* * *

><p>"The port of Badon," Eliwood announced as he and his group entered the port. "First and foremost, we need a boat."<p>

"Let's go ask that guy," Hector said, pointing to a man with a mustache standing by a boat. "You guys stay here while we go see if we can get a boat," he said to his comrades. "We want a boat to Valor," he said as the three lords and Jasmine walked up to the mustached man.

The man looked at them incredulously. "You want a boat to the Dread Isle? You're mad! No way! Never," he said, taking a few steps back and shaking his head vigorously.

"If you won't help us, can you take us to someone who will? Please," Eliwood pleaded and Lyn nodded beside him.

"You must be on urgent business, that's certain," the man said after a few moments, scrutinizing the four. "…there may be one way…"

"What is it? Tell us, please!"

"Pirates," he whispered and Lyn stiffened.

"Pirates?"

He nodded. "Uh-huh. They're fearless and they'll go anywhere for a fee. Who knows? They might decide to accept your mad offer."

"Pirates…it looks like we've no choice," Hector said.

"Are you serious?" Lyn hissed, looking at him, and he raised an eyebrow. "Working with pirates? That's…that's unbelievable!"

"You're considering it, aren't you, Eliwood?" Hector said, wanting some support.

"If there's no other way, what else can we do?" Eliwood murmured, looking at Lyn apologetically.

"You too, Eliwood?" she said disbelievingly, shaking her head. "I've misjudged you. You don't agree with them, do you?" she asked, looking at Jasmine.

She looked taken aback for being put on the spot. "Well…maybe we can find another way."

Lyn smiled. "I knew I could trust you, Jasmine, ever since the start. C'mon, let's go find another way!" she said and the two walked off.

"Why is she so angry?" Hector asked Eliwood, curiously eying Lyn's retreating figure.

"I heard that Lyndis's parents were slain by bandits. Bandits at land, pirates at sea…they're all the same to her," Eliwood said quietly. "Lawbreakers and murderers."

"I see…my parents died of illness…but I can appreciate her feelings. Shall we abandon the pirate plan?"

"But…"

"Too bad about the girl, but there's no other way," the mustached man said.

"Let's meet the pirates. We can't decide until then," Eliwood said and Hector nodded.

"That inn over there," the man said, pointing to it. "Is a known favorite of the local freebooters. They're reckless and unpredictable. Best be prepared."

"Reckless and unpredictable…sounds like someone I know," Eliwood said with a smile as he looked at Hector. He rolled his eyes and the two journeyed to the inn. They walked in to find many pirates laughing and hollering as they drunk bottles of beer.

"What do we got here?" a large man said as he noticed the two lords, obviously out of place in the inn. He had a white beard and a bandana wrapped around his head. His hairy chest was shown with his unbuckled jacket, a low white V-neck underneath it.

"I'm Hector. You're the pirate chief, Fargus, right?"

Fargus laughed loudly. "Tell me somethin', lad, where were you raised? Is that the tone you take when you're about to ask a favor?"

Hector let out a wordless growl. "Why I oughta-"

"Peace, Hector!" Eliwood snapped, placing a hand on the large lord's shoulder.

"Bah…don't worry. All right, I'm sorry, old man. Okay? Listen, we need your help."

He scrutinized Hector. "You're an odd bird. You sure you're noble born?" he said and grinned at the raised eyebrow Hector gave him. "I'm Fargus, Captain of the Davros. Now what do you want?"

"We want you to sail us to Valor."

He thought about it for a second. "How much will ye pay?"

"Don't know the current rate. How much do you need?"

"100,000 gold," he declared and the lords' eyes bulged.

"What?" Hector shouted. "100,000 gold? You're daft, old man!"

"Well, will ye pay?"

"Fine," Hector huffed. "We don't have it with us. We'll get your gold and be back here as quickly as possible," he said and looked at Eliwood. "Let's go," he said and turned around, walking out of the inn. Eliwood followed him.

"Where do you plan on getting 100,000 gold?"

"I've got a plan," Hector said.

"A plan?" Eliwood asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've got to get back to Ostia first."

"Oh. You're going to ask Lord Uther for the gold."

Hector snorted loudly and Eliwood's other eyebrow joined the first. "Don't be stupid! I will not kneel at my brother's feet to beg for money!"

"Then why are you going back to Ostia?"

"I've got some ceremonial garbs, armor, helmets, books…I'll bring it all and sell it!"

"Hector…are you sure about this?"

"Yes. My brother would be unwilling to part with that much money…not without knowing the reason why. And we don't have time to waste!"

"Good idea, Hector. I'll go to Pherae!" he said and turned around but was stopped by a pirate wearing a blue tank top.

"Hold your ground, boys!" he laughed, a short lock of his brown hair hanging out from the white bandana around his head.

"What now?" Hector said, annoyed. "We don't have the money yet."

"Fool!" the pirate said loudly. "Of course you don't! I know that. The Captain's got a message for ya."

"A message?" Eliwood asked.

"Did ya not hear me, boy? Aye, a message! All of my mates in this village are going to attack you," he said and the lords exchanged looks. "If you can beat us all and get to the ship unharmed, he'll give you passage."

"For free?"

"The Captain's a tad off-kilter. He'd rather have a bit o' fun with ya than take your gold. Smooth sailin' to ya!" he said and with a laugh, ran off. "Hey landlubbers!" he shouted as he was at a good distance from the lords. "I'm over here!"

"Do you think he's serious?" Eliwood asked skeptically.

"Let's just play along," Hector said with a grin. "It'll be fun. Let's go!"

"Listen! The Captain's waiting at the docks!" the brunette pirate shouted. "Talk to him, and you're the winner!" he shouted before dashing off again.

"Too bad we couldn't find a ship," Lyn sighed, looking at Jasmine as they walked out of a house. "But we have to get to that island…looks like I'll have to endure pirates," she murmured.

Jasmine looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Lyn."

She gave her a small smile. "There's no need to apologize. This isn't your fault," she said and perked up as she heard some commotion. "Did you hear that?" she asked, glancing around.

"What the…what's going on?" Jasmine said, glancing around as she noticed a group of pirates forming. "Let's get back to everyone else!"

"Oh! Lyn, Jamsine! Nice timing," Hector said as he noticed the two girls running toward him. "We need your help!"

"You're battling the pirates?" Lyn questioned.

"Fighting and…look, we have to reach the docks and speak to the Captain!" Eliwood said. "This is a test to see whether or not he'll give us passage."

"I don't understand, but…I'm here, so let me help!"

"Hey, you there," Raven called out to Jasmine and she faced him after giving out a few orders. "You're the tactician, huh?" he said, looking at her up and down.

"Jasmine," she said, giving a small nod to him. She looked a bit uncomfortable talking to him, if not embarrassed.

"So I guess you are smart after all, if you're a tactician."

She looked away for a moment before looking back at him. "Thank you, I guess."

He raised an eyebrow, for this was not the reaction he had expected from the angry girl he had seen last time. "Well, it doesn't matter. I'm Raven. I'm just a mercenary. I work for these guys now, so it looks like I'll take your orders."

"All right then," she said and nodded. She finished giving her orders and started to follow the groups.

"Excuse me," a soft male voice came from behind her. She turned around to face a man with purple hair and a spectacle on one of his eyes. He wore a long black cloak and was clutching onto a book.

"Yes?"

"I was talking an old sailor a few moments ago. He told me that you're planning to go to Valor. Is that true?"

"…and if we are?" she asked, giving him a wary look.

"I'd like to join you! My name is Canas. I'm a scholar of sorts…I've been seeking passage to Valor, but no one will take me. My proposal probably sounds selfish," he said, smiling slightly at the look she gave him. "You should know that I can help in combat. I've some skill with a form of elder magic. Some call it dark magic, a rather biased term, if I must be blunt," he said and she raised her eyebrows.

"Dark magic?"

He chuckled. "Like I said, it's a rather biased term. But at the very least, I can take care of myself, and perhaps others. May I join you?"

She thought about it for a second. "I'll have to ask Hector; it's not my decision to make."

"I understand," he said and nodded.

"Come with me," she said and started to walk away, Canas on her heels. "Let's play tag with some pirates."

* * *

><p><em>All right. This chapter could've been a bit better but...ah well. Raven and Jasmine probably could've talked some more. I do think it'll take them a while to have normal conversations, what with their personalities...<br>_

_When I wrote about Jasmine punching the tree and being angry, I didn't do it just so Raven and Jasmine could talk. It actually has something do with her past that causes her to have random anger outbursts...so I didn't randomly just put that in there. _

_I'll try to update soon, but it'll probably take a month or so.  
><em>


	7. Chapter 7

"Will ye stop followin' me around?" Dart barked at Serra as she chased after him.

She pursed her lips. "But I can't find Erkie!"

"Then go find somebody else to bother!"

"But you're so fun to talk to!" she squealed and he groaned loudly, smacking his hand onto his bandana-covered forehead.

"Don't you get it, Wil? I'm mad at you for-" Rebecca cut herself off mid-sentence and abruptly stopped walking to gape at the passing Dart and Serra. "Dan?" she whispered.

"Hey, wait up-whoa!" Wil shouted as he stopped running, nearly slamming into Rebecca's back. "What are you staring at?"

"I thought I just saw…oh never mind! You're reminding me of things!" she snapped at Wil, turning around to face his bewildered face.

"What did I do?"

"You," she hissed, poking him on the chest. "You're making me imagine things!"

"Imagine what?"

She didn't respond and looked away. "Never mind. Just leave me alone," she said and started to walk away. She was quickly pulled back by Wil. "Hey!" she snapped, trying to pull her wrist out of his grip. He only tightened his grip and she sighed, turning around to look at him expectantly.

"Why are you so mad at me?" he asked with a confused frown.

"Because," she hissed between gritted teeth, "you and Dan left me! I haven't gotten any letters or anything!"

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, releasing his grip on her wrist. "I must have forgotten. I was so busy, what with joining up with the Caelin army and-"

"Caelin army?" Rebecca said with raised eyebrows. "You're part of the army?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "I was traveling around when I met with Lyn's group and well...it just all started from there."

"Lyn?" she asked curiously. "As in...Lady Lyndis?"

"Oh, right!" he said, laughing as he scratched the back of his head. "I really need to start calling her with her title, you know, since I am working for her..." he said and she didn't respond. "Are you still mad?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "You did apologize, after all. How was Caelin, anyways?"

"Oh, you should've been there, Rebecca!" he said excitedly. "The castle was HUGE! And everyone was so nice! I got a lot better at shooting, too!"

She smiled. "That's great, Wil," she said genuinely.

"What about you? How's everyone? My parents? Yours?"

"Same old same old," she said with a shrug. "Your parents are fine, too. They're still healthy and enjoying their time."

"Good," he grinned. "And Dan?"

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened but formed no words for a few moments. "Dan?" she croaked out.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. He paused for a moment, looking at her curiously. "What's with the face? Did you two get in a fight the last time you saw each other or something?"

"The last time I saw him...was when he went off on his journey with you..."

This time it was Wil's turn to be surprised. "What?"

"I haven't seen him in years...I always thought he was with you."

"I always thought he was with YOU, at home!" he said, his eyes still wide as he ran his fingers through his messy brown hair. "We parted ways at Badon. It was only months after we'd left the village, and..." he trailed off, his eyes a mixture of sadness and disbelief. "I'm so sorry, Rebecca. I...we should've never left Pherae in the first place."

"I...excuse me," she murmured and ran off before he could say another word.

* * *

><p>"Sain, you fool!"<p>

"It was an accident, Kent! Calm down!"

"Calm down? Look at what you've done!" Kent shouted angrily, gesturing at where Sain had spilled his glass of water.

The brunette snickered. "I just think you couldn't control your bladder." Kent let out a low growl and there was a quiet giggle behind Sain. He immediately turned around to find a redheaded beauty standing behind him, a hand over her mouth.

"Why, it's as if the sun itself is standing in front of me! I'm blinded by-"

"This is most definitely NOT the time at _attempting_to woo someone! I have no patience for you right now!" Kent barked, starting to drag Sain away.

"But Kent, my boon companion, there's always time for the love from a sweet angel!" he cried, earning another giggle from Priscilla. "And listen to the way she laughs, it's like an angel itself is singing!"

They were nearly out of the small dining room until Florina walked in the doorway, nearly running into Kent. She let out a surprised squeal and Kent jumped in surprise.

"I apologize, Florina, I should've been watching where I was walking."

"I-it's okay," she said with a tentative smile, receiving a gasp from Sain. He shrugged Kent off of him, earning himself a glare, and looked at Florina.

"The smile brightens your face, my darling Florina, making you glow with even more beauty; as if that was possible!"

She blushed hard and looked away. "I...er...t-thank you?"

"There is no need for thanks, my sweet lily! For I only speak of the truth-"

"Did you not HEAR me, Sain?" Kent interrupted angrily. "I have no patience for you right now to go around wooing every woman you meet!"

Sain stuck his tongue out at Kent and Florina giggled. "By the way, Florina, have you seen Kent's pants? Look-"

"SAIN-"

It was too late. Sain had already brought Florina's attention to the area, causing her to turn an outrageous red.

"I wasn't able to help Kent find the restroom! Poor fellow, isn't he?" Sain said to Florina, shaking his head sympathetically. Her eyes widened and her blush deepened, making her as red as a tomato.

"Sain!" Kent snapped, his face as red as his hair. "You...you! That's not what happened, Florina," he said, looking back at the red-faced girl. "This...this _lout_tripped on his own two feet and spilled his cup of water all over me!"

"Not all over," his friend mumbled. "Only where it's obvious." This earned him a slap on the back of his head and he groaned loudly.

"Oh...I...I see," Florina said quietly, her face slowly returning to its normal shade. "Well...er..."

"Oh my darling, how you-"

"Shut it," Kent interrupted, starting to drag Sain away again. Florina stepped out of the way. "Thank you," he said with a polite smile and nod at her. "You should be grateful that I have an extra pair of pants, Sain, if I didn't..." he was at too far of a distance for Florina to hear anymore, but she was sure he was still scolding Sain. She stood by the doorway for a few moments, watching their figures disappear, before walking into the dining room.

* * *

><p>Guy looked away from the railing, his face green. He clutched onto his forehead and swayed slightly as he walked across the deck. He lost his balance and fell over but was rescued by Lucius, who brought him back up onto his feet.<p>

"Are you alright?" Lucius asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Guy said, waving Lucius off. "Completely fine..."

"You don't look fine," Lucius said concernedly. "Shall I get some help, mister...?"

"Guy," he said, sticking out his hand and wobbling a bit. His face was still green.

"Lucius," the blond said politely, taking his hand and shaking it. "I'm sure either Sister Serra or Priscilla know remedies for sea sickness."

"Seasick? I'm not seasick," Guy laughed but had to stop, feeling like his breakfast might return. "This sea is nothing like the sea of grass in Sacae," he groaned.

He chuckled gently. "Surely a sea of grass and a sea of water are two completely different things."

"I just found out."

"Here, you should take a rest..." Lucius said, gently walking Guy over to the railing. The myrmidon collapsed against it. "I can go get Sister Serra-"

"No!" Guy shrieked, clutching onto Lucius's white robes. His face had turned pale. "Not Serra! Anyone but Serra!"

He chuckled gently. "All right, I'll go get Lady Priscilla instead."

Guy relaxed, releasing his grip on Lucius and slouching more. "Thanks," he said and paused for a moment. "I'm feeling better now, actually. I think I'll just take a nap in my hammock and I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Lucius asked as Guy stood up. He did look better; his face was back to its normal shade and he wasn't wobbling anymore.

"Yeah, thanks. I guess getting checked by Serra scared me back into being healthy," he sad with a light chuckle.

"I hope you feel better."

"Thanks" Guy said with a smile before he slipped down below deck to his hammock. Lucius started to walk away but had to stop short when Serra knocked him off his feet. He almost fell face-flat to the dirty pirate ship floor, but Serra held him upright, nearly choking him from behind.

"Lucius!" she squealed loudly, her arms still around his neck.

"H-hello S-sister Serra…choking…me," he managed to say, putting his hands on her arms. She got the message and immediately let go of him, allowing him to breathe once again.

"Dart got away from me!" she said with pursed lips as he turned around to face her.

"Why's that?"

"I don't know," she huffed, pursing her lips even further.

"Maybe he's shy," Lucius offered.

"Yes, of course!" she said and grinned. "You're pretty smart, Lucius!"

"Am I?" he said amusingly, smiling.

"Yeah, you are! Now if only I could find out why Erkie's always avoiding me..."

"Perhaps he too is shy?" he suggested.

She rolled her eyes, giggling a bit. "Erkie? No, he's not shy one bit! If anything, he's one of the coldest people I've ever met."

He almost said "then you've never met Lord Raven" but he managed to shut his mouth. Just in time too, for Raven had just passed by him. He and Lucius met eyes but the redhead walked on as if he hadn't noticed the monk.

"Oh, isn't he your friend?" Serra asked Lucius curiously, pointing at Raven.

"Yes, I suppose so," Lucius said with a weary smile. Serra was only half-listening; she was looking back at Raven.

"Hmm," she said and turned back to face Lucius. "He's not very talkative, is he? He kept on glaring at me last night," she said with a small frown.

"No worries, Sister, he's not exactly...the social type."

"I noticed."

Lucius chuckled gently. "Anyways, what have you been up to for this past year? I feel like you and I still have had barely a moment to chat nowadays."

"Oh yes, I know!" she said with a dramatic sigh. "Lord Hector is always bossing me around I never have time to do anything! He's not very nice."

"Lord Hector seems like a fine gentleman."

Serra's eyebrows nearly reached her hairline. "Fine gentleman," she snorted. "You are too polite, Lucius, you know that?"

He frowned slightly. "Well, as far as I've seen, he's kind. Perhaps a bit loud but…he has let L-Raven and I to join his army."

"Raven?" she said confusedly.

"My companion," he said, gesturing toward the redhead by the railing. She seemed to understand, her mouth forming a little 'o'.

"Ooh, so that's his name."

_Not necessarily, _Lucius thought in the back of his mind. "Yes."

"Huh. So anyways, I need to tell you what Lord Hector said to me the other day! That'll set your mind right!"

Serra babbled away and Lucius listened attentively, smiling and nodding.

* * *

><p>"Just drop it!" Raven snarled.<br>"But milord-"

Lucius was cut off when the door slammed in his face. He sighed.

Raven stomped off; his hands curled up into fists by his sides, and he slammed open the hatch that led up to the main deck. He was growling underneath his breath and only noticed that somebody was also on the main deck until he was a few feet away from her.

Jasmine turned to look at him, her baby blue eyes meeting his dark brown ones. It was almost as if it was a battle between ice and fire. Neither of them spoke for a few moments until she looked away and downcast her eyes.

"Isn't a bit late to be up?" he finally said, looking out at the sea.

"Yes," she answered and he looked at her with slightly raised eyebrows, for that was not the answer he expected.

"Then why are you awake?" he hissed. She didn't answer and raised her face, her eyes flickering from side to side. "Were there monsters underneath your hammock?" he asked with fake sympathy and her eyes met his again, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"No. Were there any under yours?"

It annoyed him to no end that she used the same mocking voice. "No," he snapped. She smirked slightly and seemed unfazed by his deathly glare. He almost went back below deck but quickly realized that Lucius would still be there, ready to talk about Ostia.

He certainly wasn't going back there.

He let an agitated sigh escape his lips. She looked at him curiously but said nothing.

"You should go back to sleep," she said after a few moments. "A good night's rest is important."

"I can't. If I go back, Lucius will bother me," he said and she didn't ask anything, though she looked a little curious and confused. "Why don't YOU go back to sleep? Surely you could use the rest to improve your tactic skills."

Her eyebrows shot up at his rudeness and she looked extremely offended. Without responding, she quickly turned around from him to look off at the vast sea. Raven said nothing, felt no guilt. Perhaps she would leave now and go back to sleep.

"I know," she said quietly, closing her eyes. "I barely knew anything about tactics….until I met Lyn. Honestly, it's a miracle that everyone's still alive," she said and chuckled dryly.

"We're all managing."

"Won't Lucius worry about you?" she said after a few moments.

Raven rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt it."

"He'll come searching for you."

"How do you know? What, can the almighty tactician look into the future?"

She glanced at him over her shoulder, annoyance replacing her hurt expression. "I am not almighty and I can't read into the future."

He rolled his eyes again. "Everyone in this blasted army is so full of themselves; I bet you do think that you're the best tactician out there!"

"I never-"

"Especially that idiotic lord, Hector! He thinks he's the only thing that exists in this world!" he snarled, and there was no mistaking the hatred in his voice.

"I don't know Hector very well, but surely he doesn't think that he's the ruler of the world," Jasmine said with slightly raised eyebrows. "He is quite a loud one, but he does stand up for his friends, after all."

Raven snorted loudly. "Stand up for his friends? Hah."

"I really don't think you should be talking about a person you barely know," she said, her voice hardening.

He raised his eyebrows and had the urge to say that he knew much more about Hector than she ever would, but kept his mouth shut on the subject. Instead he said, "And you shouldn't stand up for a person you barely know."

She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I know Hector-maybe not quite as well as Eliwood, but…I do work for him, after all."

"You work for Hector?" His voice changed, more curious and thoughtful.

"Yes," she said slowly, eying him suspiciously. "And you do too, if I'm not mistaken."

"You _are_ mistaken. I did not come here to earn money."

"Oh," she said. He waited for a moment, expecting her to ask why he was here, but she never did. "There are plentiful of people that join for reasons other than money," she said, noticing his look. "And I respect them all."

He gave her a curt nod, ending the subject. Neither said anything for a few moments.

"Well…I guess I'll go back to sleep," Jasmine finally said. He nodded.

"You do that," he said, sounding like he could really care less.

"Good night," she said and walked passed him, heading down below deck. Raven glanced over his shoulder to see that she was gone. He looked up at the half-moon and reached out his open hand. It curled up into a first, blocking the moon from his vision.

* * *

><p>"What's this?" Canas said to himself curiously, bending down and grabbing a book off the floor. "Books should be treated with more respect!" he huffed with a frown, gently wiping the cover with his sleeve. Intrigued with the title "A History of Magic", he sat down on the crate nearest to him and started to read away. He became so absorbed in it that he didn't notice Erk run into the room. The mage glanced around and noticed Canas with his back to him.<p>

"Excuse me?" Erk said but Canas didn't hear him. "Excuse me," he said, louder. Canas turned around this time, unwillingly ripping his eyes away from the book. He adjusted the spectacle on his nose and looked at Erk.

"Yes?"

"I was…hey, that's my book!" he said, pointing to the book in Canas's hands. He walked up to him and snatched the book out of his hands.

"Oh, it is? It's a very good book. You should take better care of it."

Erk raised an eyebrow. "I do take good care of it."

"Well, yes, it's in good condition, but you shouldn't leave it lying around," Canas said, smiling politely.

"Yeah, I guess I forgot it; I was too busy hiding from Serra."

Canas looked at him curiously but shrugged. "Anyways, I really enjoyed reading that book. I do like the way it explained elder magic…it didn't make it seem horrible. A lot of books and people misinterpret the entire art of it."

"You use elder magic?" Erk asked curiously.

He nodded. "Yes, I do. You are a mage, as I see?"

"Yeah," Erk nodded. "I still need a lot more studying to become a full-fledged mage though."

"I'm sure you're a great mage!" Canas said encouragingly and Erk didn't respond for a moment, looking down at the floor.

"…what are you doing down here anyways?"

"Oh, yes!" he said suddenly, jumping up. "I was asked by Captain Fargus to bring up a few bottles of alcohol. My, do these pirates drink!"

"Oh…do you, er, need any help?"

"No no, as long as I get to read that book again," Canas said and grinned as he got off his crate.

"Yeah, sure, you can read it any time."

"Wonderful!" he said as he rummaged through a box. "What's your name again?"

"Erk."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Erk. I'm Canas," he said and stood up with a number of bottles in his arms. He tried to shift them all to his left arm in order to shake Erk's hand, but nearly dropped them all in the process. "Perhaps I'll shake hands with you later," he said, looking down at his foot and attempting to balance a bottle on it.

"Okay," Erk mumbled and left the room, hearing a cry and the shattering of glass as he closed the door.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Lowen," Rebecca said, sounding surprised as she walked into the kitchen. Lowen was stirring something in a pot and he turned to face Rebecca. "I didn't know you were making dinner tonight."<p>

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Lowen cried out. "I didn't know you wanted to. Here, I'll just-"

Rebecca laughed. "No, no, it's fine! You can cook as much as you want, I won't stop you!"

He hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the bubbling stew. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course," she said, waving him off. "I guess I'll just walk around the ship. Call me when dinner's ready, alright?" she smiled.

"Of course," he said with a nod and she left the kitchen. She walked over to the railing and jumped onto it, curiously watching the working crew.

"Oi, ye best get off the railin', lass! Ye might fall off!" a crew member shouted at her and she immediately jumped back off.

"Sorry!" she shouted back and received a grunt in response. She sighed and started to walk around. She passed by Dorcas, leaned over the railing and working on something. Curious, she stopped beside him.

"Hi, Sir Dorcas," she said cheerfully, smiling widely at him. He turned his head and looked at her, giving her a small smile.

"Hello Rebecca."

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

"Drawing."

"Drawing what?"

"The sea," he said, bringing his arm around and showing her the painting in his hand. There was a lot of blue in the color, the dark blue of the sea, and the light blue of the sky. It was very well-drawn painting, and the sun seemed to be alive, peeking out from behind the sea.

"It's beautiful!" Rebecca breathed. "You're very talented!"

"This is nothing," he said. "I've seen much better."

"I haven't!" she said earnestly and he chuckled.

"You are far too sweet, Rebecca."

"But I'm telling you the truth!"

"Thank you, then."

"Do you draw other things too?" she asked and he nodded. "Like what?"

He shrugged. "The grass, houses, people…Natalie."

"Natalie…she's your wife, right?" she asked and he nodded again. "Ooh, you must show me the drawing of her, Sir Dorcas, you must!"

"Hey guys!" Bartre said as Dorcas opened his mouth to answer. He slung an arm around each of them. "Do you know when dinner will be ready?"

"I think it'll be ready soon," Rebecca replied. "Lowen was in the middle of making it."

"What do you suppose it is?"

"I think it's some kind of stew."

"Ah, alright. By the way, have you talked to Dart yet?" he asked, jabbing his thumb at Dart behind him, laughing at something Matthew had said. The smile on Rebecca's face shrunk and she looked away. Dorcas looked at her curiously before back at Bartre.

"I suppose you've challenged him?"

"Yeah, but the Captain didn't let us battle," Bartre frowned. "Said it was too dangerous on a ship. Hah, like the man doesn't like danger!"

"Maybe you should ask again."

"But you know Fargus, a stubborn old fool he is."

"Maybe you should challenge him instead."

Bartre looked thoughtful for a moment before he grinned broadly. "Nice idea! Thanks, Dorcas!" he said and slapped him on the back in a friendly motion. He dashed off and Dorcas turned his attention to Rebecca.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. She looked up at him, seeming slightly bewildered.

"Of course I'm alright! What makes you think that I'm not?"

"Did Dart do something to you?" he asked, even quieter. "You can tell me anything, Rebecca. If he did something to hurt you-"

"He didn't," she intervened quickly. "It's just that…well…"

"I apologize," he said, leaning away. "I don't mean to be nosy or force you to tell me things you don't want to."

"Oh no, it's not like that!" she said and shook her head. "I suppose it's just hard to explain…you might even think I've gone crazy." He didn't say anything, but looked at her attentively. "Dart just…reminds me of my brother, who I haven't seen in years. He looks just like him! So I told Wil that and he immediately noticed the resemblance too. He spoke to Dart, asking him if he remembered him, but…it seems like we got the wrong person," she said quietly, looking down at the floor and shuffling her feet.

Dorcas stayed quiet for a few moments before murmuring, "I see."

"Am I crazy?"

He smiled gently. "No, you're not crazy. There are plenty of people in this world that look alike. I'm sure you'll meet your brother again some day."

She smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>"If you're looking for Eliwood," Lyn said quietly as she turned to look at Hector. "He's talking with the Captain."<p>

"Oh, I won't bother him then," he said and didn't say anything else. He glanced around, almost a bit awkwardly. Lord Hector of Ostia was not an awkward person.

"Is something wrong? You're so…quiet."

He scowled. "I'm not always shouting, you know."

"I wouldn't say that."

He sighed. "Listen, we need to talk."

"Isn't that what we're doing right now?"

"I have no need for that attitude!"

"And I have no need for yours!"

"Blasted woman! I'm trying to talk to you kindly-"

"It's sure not working, is it?"

He let out a loud, wordless huff. "Ever since we've gotten on this ship, you haven't stopped pouting and you've obviously been avoiding me. This pirate ship is the only way for us to get to the Dread Isle. I thought you understood that, was I mistaken?"

"I know," she snapped. "I know this is the only way to save Eliwood's father! Don't talk to me as if I don't know anything."

"…Eliwood told me about your parents," he murmured and she froze. "These pirates aren't like those bandits."

"It wasn't just my parents!" Lyn exclaimed. "My entire tribe-everyone was killed! They…they poisoned our drinking water. My people were in such pain, they could hardly stand." Her voice had become nothing more than a whisper in the wind. "My farther put me on his horse and I escaped…just me. He was in so much pain…they all were. He lifted me up with shaking arms, with his last breath." It was a few moments before she spoke again. "Do you understand now? I was found unconscious by another tribe. I…never even had a chance to say goodbye," she said quietly, a few tears rolling down on her face.

Hector didn't say anything as he gently patted Lyn on the top of her head. She nearly jumped back in surprise.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she huffed but didn't stop him.

"You're a strong woman, Lyndis," he said quietly. "I thought you wouldn't want anyone to see you cry."

"You fool!" she snapped, swatting his hand away from her head. "If that's all you can think of, leave me!"

He didn't respond for a few moments, starting to walk toward the railing. He looked out at the sea as he spoke. "My parents died too," he said quietly and her eyes widened. "It was an illness that took them; nothing like what happened to your parents. Still, I wanted nothing more than to cry like a little baby. But yet…I couldn't, not in front of others. And when I was alone, I found I still couldn't. So I thought…I just…don't know," he muttered, looking down at his hand.

"You really are a fool. You can't just…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, unsure of how to. Neither said anything else and a soft breeze passed by them, ruffling their clothes and hair.

"Ahoy! There's a boat driftin' about! Inform the Captain!" one of the pirates shouted and more shouts followed. Hector and Lyn looked at each other.

"Did you hear that?" Matthew asked, jumping out of his hammock. He looked up at the floorboards curiously.

"Hear what?" Jasmine mumbled and opened her eyes, yawning.

"I thought tacticians were supposed to be able to hear everything," Matthew teased and grinned at her.

"Not when they're half-sleeping."

He shrugged. "Sure, I guess. Now c'mon, let's go see what all the commotion is," he said and she got out of her hammock. They walked up to the main deck to find an unusually large clump of people at the starboard side of the ship.

"Do you think we should go over there?" Jasmine asked, pointing at the clump.

He shrugged. "I don't know, I mean there doesn't seem to be anything important going on there."

She giggled and the two walked off toward the cluster of people. They weaved their way around to find Lyn, Hector, and Eliwood standing around something.

"What's going on?" Matthew asked, craning his neck around. "Did you break something, Lord Hector?"

Hector glared at him. "No, I didn't break anything!"

"Then what are you all crowded around?"

"A girl," Hector responded plainly, causing Jasmine and Matthew to exchange looks.

"I didn't know you were interested in girls," Matthew grinned and Hector scowled as Jasmine giggled.

"That's not what I meant!"

"Oh well you two please be quiet?" Lyn snapped, glancing up at them. "We're in the middle of a big situation here!"

"Oi, mates, watch out, there be-"

Dart was interrupted when a ship hit the Davros in the side. A few people yelped and screamed as they lost their balance, the ship swaying to the left. Hector grabbed Lyn as she nearly fell down and into the ocean. She looked at him with wide, surprised eyes. Eliwood had a hold of a light blue-headed girl, the long dress matching the color of her hair.

"Nini-" Jasmine started with wide eyes but when she took a step forth, she lost her balance. She slid down and tried to grind her fingers into the floorboards but failed miserably.

"Jasmine!" Lyn shrieked, reaching out her hand and trying to grab her. Jasmine reached her hand out in an attempt to grab onto Lyn's but another thud came from the ships colliding. Jasmine yelped this time, sliding down at such a rate that she would flatten against the railing-

A hand roughly yanked up her arm and brought her back up to her feet. She was stunned for a few moments before finally turning to see her savior. Raven stood beside her, his other arm holding onto a mast. Another ship bumped onto the other side of the Davros and the ship started to tilt towards the right. After a few moments, the ship slowly tilted back to its normal position. Raven immediately let go of Jasmine's arm.

"You shouldn't be so careless," he said, glaring at her.

"Right, sorry," she said quietly, looking at him with wide eyes as she rubbed her arm. "Thank you."

He didn't respond and looked away from her. There was a shriek from down below deck.

"Water! The hull's been breached! We're taking on water!"

"Breached?" Captain Fargus roared. "Those scum are more dangerous than I'd thought!"

"It's bad, Captain!" Dart breathed as he rushed up beside Fargus. "We need all hands below deck, or we'll sink!"

"Take care of it!" he snapped and Dart quickly rushed off, shouting at his fellow crew members. "I'm going to carve these scallywags some new gizzards!"

"We need your help, Captain! The water's up to the galley!"

Fargus let out a growl and Eliwood ran up to him. "Leave the enemy to us!"

"You need to take care of the ship or else we'll sink!" Hector said as he ran up beside Eliwood, followed by Lyn.

"We'll take care of things. Please, trust us!"

"Fine!" Fargus snarled. "The deck is yours!" he said and dashed down below deck to help his crew.

"Lyn!" Eliwood said, twirling around to face her. "Take Ninian to that room!" he said and pointed to it.

"All right," Lyn nodded and she gently took Ninian's arm, walking with her to the room.

"Here they come!" Hector said as he brandished his ax.

"Jasmine!" Eliwood shouted. "Orders, Jasmine!"

The brunette came running up to him, seeming a bit out of breath. "I want all Cavaliers to stay out of this battle!" she shouted, turning around. Sain started to protest but Kent immediately stopped him. "You too, Florina," Jasmine said, glancing over at the Pegaus knight standing worriedly on her own. "There's no room to battle on horses or a Pegasus."

"Everyone gather around!" Hector shouted as his comrades started to take their weapons out, either from their own sheaths or from Merlinus.

"Priscilla, can you still heal without your horse?" Jasmine asked and looked at the redhead. She nodded, though a bit unsure. "Guy, you protect her." Raven gave Guy a dirty look. "Priscilla and Serra, you two stay at the back of the ship. Serra, you'll be protected by…Lucius," Jasmine said thoughtfully and Lucius looked a bit surprised but not upset. Erk let out a little cheer, earning himself a few looks. "I'd really like for us to mainly stay on this ship; it's the safest way."

"Jasmine," Hector said warningly. "They're starting to put the planks down."

"Rebecca, you take the left side of the ship, shooting down enemies as you stand by the planks. The same to you, Wil, except on the right. Hector, you take the lead, followed by Lyn and Eliwood. You three will pretty much knock out anybody that manages to get on the ship. I want Erk to be on the right side of the ship along with Wil, just by the other plank. Canas, same thing but on the left side. Bartre and Dorcas, you two will be by the front of the ship. Uh…for Oswin, Matthew, and Raven…" she trailed off, her eyebrows furrowing in thought.

"You can figure that out later," Hector said, shouldering his ax. "They're coming."

Everybody immediately took their positions and started firing away.

"The three of you can protect Merlinus," Jasmine said to Raven, Matthew, and Oswin.

"Oh, how exciting! Instead of going around the ships and stealing things, I get to protect the terrified merchant!" Matthew said in a cheerful sarcastic way.

"Matthew, you do as-"

"Yeah yeah," Matthew interrupted Oswin, waving him off. "As you command, oh humble one," he said and bowed mockingly, dramatically swinging his red cloak behind him. He hit Raven smack in the face.

"Fine, Matthew, you go around and steal some things. Just make sure you don't get KILLED," Jasmine sighed.

"There's no need for your worrying," he teased. "I'm quite quick, you know."

"Yeah, well you better get going before Raven kills you."

Confused, Matthew turned around to find Raven glaring at him, looking just about ready to commit a murder. "I'll see you when the battle's over, Jas!" Matthew said and disappeared in a flash. She chuckled and shook her head. Raven didn't say anything and headed over to the helm along with Oswin, where Merlinus was perched in his tent.

"Hector!" Lyn shouted, ducking a swing from an ax. "Will you STOP TRYING TO CUT MY HEAD OFF?"

* * *

><p><em>Oh gosh it took two months to update this? Sorry about that. There were some issues with my laptop and...yeah. I'm sure I can update sooner next time!<br>_


	8. Chapter 8

"Ye take good care of the lad, ye hear?" Fargus laughed, slapping Dart on the back. "Give 'im all his food, make sure he got 'is-"

"I ain't no baby, Captain; I can take care of meself," Dart mumbled but smiled.

"Let's get going," Hector said. "Thanks for everything, old man Fargus."

He laughed. "Not a problem, boy! Ye know, with that attitude of yers, ye would've made quite a pirate yerself!" he said jovially and Hector scowled as Eliwood laughed.

"He's right, you know."

"Shut up."

"Well, goodbye," Lyn said, looking at Fargus. Her expression was unreadable. "…thank you for taking us here."

"Not a problem, lass! 'Tis not everyday I see a fine lady such as yerself," he said and winked. She raised an eyebrow and he laughed, walking back to his ship. "See ye later, landlubbers!" he shouted as the ship started to drift away from the Dread Isle.

"See?" Hector said to Lyn as they watched the ship sail away. "Not all pirates or bandits are bad."

"…I see," she said quietly and nodded. "They were all very kind."

"Yes, they were. Now, we should get moving," Eliwood said and gestured at the dense forest not too far from the shore. "Shall we?"

"Let's go," Hector said and nodded. They started to walk toward the forest, their comrades following close behind.

"Can any of you tell me why Ninian is here? We never really got a chance to talk about that since our little battle," Jasmine said as she walked up to the lords.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you about that," Lyn said as she looked at the brunette walking beside her. "She was on a small boat drifting away from Dread Isle. She appears to have lost her memory," she said and glanced over at Ninian walking beside Eliwood. She looked confused and a bit worried as she looked at the trees surrounding them.

Jasmine raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"I know," Lyn said as she looked back at her. "It's all very confusing to me too."

"It's starting to get foggy," Eliwood commented, glancing around at the sky. Surely enough, a light fog was descending on them. "Let's try not to get separated in these dense woods," he announced to his comrades, turning around to face them.

"Kind of spooky, isn't it?" Hector said as he looked around at the dimming sky. "You scared?" he grinned down at the two young women beside him.

Lyn snorted. "Hah. You wish."

"Too afraid to even admit you're scared, eh?" he said and his grin widened.

"I'm not scared," Lyn huffed. "It's obvious you're the one who is."

His eyebrows rose. "Me? Scared? I'm never scared," he said and huffed out his chest.

This time it was her turn to raise her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Really."

"I find that very hard to believe."

He scowled. "Don't believe me, huh? Do I even _look_ like I'm easy to scare?"

"Yes."

Jasmine giggled and Hector narrowed his eyes at Lyn. "That's a big claim right there, woman!"

"Hah, I bet-"

"Shush, you two," Eliwood whispered and they fell silent at his urgent tone. "I see someone up ahead." His hand went to the hilt of his sword and he crouched over slightly.

"Get behind me, Jasmine," Lyn said quietly as she unsheathed her Mani Katti.

"Wait a second…" Hector murmured as he took steps forth, ax in hand. "Leila, is that you?" he called out as they got closer to the figure. "It is you!" he said, grinning as he brought his ax down to his side. "Amazing! Always ahead of the game, aren't you?"

"…something's not right," Eliwood said quietly as he eyed Leila, sitting upright against a tree trunk. Two deep slashes were across her neck and chest. Her head was limp against her shoulder and she didn't appear to be breathing.

"…Leila?" Hector said quietly, eyebrows furrowing as he too sensed something wrong. "Leila!" he said louder and bent down to her level. He reached out but quickly withdrew, eyes wide. "No…"

"She's…gone," Lyn breathed. "I-I'm sorry, Hector," she said quietly, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. His breathing was slowly becoming more ragged and his hands shook as he stood up. Eliwood looked at his friend sympathetically and put his hand on his other shoulder.

"She was a wonderful person."

"…I'm sorry for your loss," Jasmine muttered quietly, glancing over Hector uncomfortably. Her comrades were starting to gather up behind them, curious of what was stopping them. Many gasps and murmurs spread across the group.

"That's the spy..."

"The Ostian..."

"No..."

"What's going on?" Serra shrieked from the back of the group.

"Yes, milords, what is going on?" Oswin asked as he pushed his way passed the clump of people. He stopped short when he saw Leila. "No, it can't be…"

"She was one of our best spies…" Hector murmured. "A friend, too…"

Matthew pushed his way through the crowd, accompanied by Serra. "Really, Lord Hector, I should-" she cut herself off when her eyes laid on Leila. "Oh my…Leila…" she whispered. She closed her eyes after a moment, clasped her hands together, and started to pray underneath her breath. Hector turned to both of them, his eyes a mix of rage and distress.

The spy's face was a mask and he stared at Leila blankly. "I'm sorry, Matthew," Hector said quietly as he walked over to him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"…Why do you apologize, milord?" he asked, his eyes transfixed on Leila's body. "Leila blundered. That's all."

"Matthew…Leila…she was important to us all," Oswin said quietly, placing his hand on the spy's other shoulder.

"We'll miss her," Serra whispered, hugging him for a moment.

"…After this mission," he started, "I was going to ask her to put this life behind her. Waited too long, huh?" he said and forced a dry chuckle. Nobody responded. "Milords…may I rejoin you later? She has to be buried," he said quietly.

"Of course," Hector said and nodded slowly. Matthew walked to Leila slowly, as if it pained him to walk, and gently picked her up. And with a flash, he was gone.

"Blast!" Hector shouted the moment he was gone, angrily kicking the closest tree to him. "They put her out here for us to find like this!"

"Unforgivable!" Lyn hissed venomously. "This is…a foul deed. Beyond foul."

"…Let's go," Eliwood said quietly. "The foe must be somewhere in this forest," he said and looked around his surroundings. "We must stop this before any more die!"

Lyn nodded. "Yes, no more can be harmed!"

"I'm going to kill them all," Hector hissed. "Leila's death will not be for nothing. We are going to find the foe and finally end this!"

"Ah!" Ninian yelped suddenly and everyone turned to face her. "Beware! Something comes!"

"What is she babbling on about?" Hector demanded.

"Ninian can sense when something dangerous is coming," Jasmine explained hurriedly, glancing around.

"Stay on guard, everybody!" Eliwood shouted, looking back at his army. "Weapons-LYNDIS!"

Lyn was dangling in the air, her hands pushing against an arm gripped around her neck. A man was holding her from atop a horse, a sword not too far from her. Her struggles were useless and she had to stop in order to breathe easier. Hector and Eliwood immediately drew their weapons and started to advance but stopped quickly when the sword drew nearer to Lyn.

"If you value her life," the man said in his husky voice, "send the girl to me," he said and gestured toward Ninian, who cowered behind Eliwood.

"You...you won't kill her!" Jasmine said shakily, mustering up her courage for her closest friend and she stared the man straight in the eye. "I won't let you!"

The man chuckled darkly. "What makes you so sure, young one? All I need to do is slit her throat and her blood will pour down on you."

"I'll do anything!" she said, twitching under his gaze. "Just...let her go."

He looked at her for a brief moment and nodded slowly. "Very well. Simply hand the girl over to me," he jerked his head at Ninian, "and you can all leave."

"We are doing neither!" Eliwood said loudly, brandishing his Rapier. "You will release Lyndis!"

"The longer we talk, the less time your friend will have to breathe." He tightened his grip on Lyn and she gasped for breath.

"Just give him Ninian!" Jasmine snapped, brown curls twirling as she faced Eliwood. He looked at her in disbelief, as did Hector.

"Jasmine!" Eliwood gasped, shocked. "I can't believe you would suggest such a thing!"

"It wasn't a suggestion." She stared at the gaping lords. "I will not lose Lyn," she said in an even tone.

"Stupid girl! That doesn't mean that we can just give Ninian up!" Hector snarled, taking steps forth, finger raised. She flinched and closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. Hector raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak-

"I'll rescue you, Lady Lyndis!" Sain said unexpectedly and everyone turned to watch him gallop toward the man with his green lance raised high in the air. The man's eyes widened and his horse quickly dodged the charge. However, at that sudden turn, Lyn slipped out of his grip and flung through the air, into Sain's arms. He put her in front of him on his horse, his hands still on the reigns. He tugged on the reigns and faced the now angry man.

"You…you're Sacaen!" Lyn gasped.

"That's correct…I'm Uhai of the Black Fang. I've been sent to capture the girl…" His eyes darted back to Ninian. "And to kill the lot of you…if, however, you hand over the girl and depart the island at once, I'll grant you your lives."

"And if we refuse?" Lyn huffed.

"You know nothing, little lord," the man said, chuckling. "Nothing of Nergal's might, of his terrible power. You are ignorant, and so you hope to oppose him."

"…Maybe we don't know what it is we're fighting…but if we flee, our loss is assured," Eliwood said evenly. "So we will continue to struggle, and we may yet prevail!"

"…Folly," Uhai breathed. "All of you are silly, ignorant children! Nonetheless," he said and looked at Lyn. "You, too, are of Sacae, and I've got a mind to show you mercy. I will let you die with a sword in your hands. But rest assured…" He looked at the other lords and their companions. "I will kill you all here."

And with that, he tugged on his horse's reigns, dashing off through the forest.

It was dead silent for a few moments.

"Did I miss anything?" Matthew's voice broke the quiet, tense air.

"Not much..." Hector said quietly, glancing back at Jasmine, who was looking down at her feet. "Battle plans?" he asked her. She looked up at him slowly, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

After a moment, she quietly murmured, "Sorry about suggesting to give up Ninian." Her eyes were back on the grass. "It was real selfish of me."

"It's alright," Eliwood said gently, smiling at her. "I understand your concern for Lyndis."

There was another moment of silence and Marcus cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Battle plans, Lady Jasmine?"

"Oh, right," she said and looked back up. She still looked like she felt bad about what she had said. She shook her head, a hand on her forehead. "Right...right...battle plans. Since the fog is already pretty thick, we should travel in large groups. Does anybody have any torches?"

"I've got one," Marcus said.

"Aye, me too!" Dart shouted.

"Merlinus?" Jasmine asked, turning around to face the merchant. He was putting up his tent, fumbling with a number of things in his arms.

"I've got two!"

"Let's divide into groups of two for the time being, and split up into two more groups if we find any snags or other bridges." She squinted through the mist. "I can't see any…but if there are any, we'd see them if we get close enough."

Hector was giving her a cautious look. "Remember last time there was a fog?"

"I remember quite well, thank you very much," she said quietly, averting his gaze.

"What happened last time there was a fog?" Lyn asked curiously, approaching the two.

"Why don't you ask him?" Jasmine responded slightly harshly and quickly looked at Lyn apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like that."

"Bah, I'll tell you later," Hector said, waving off Lyn's confused face. "Now's not the time."

"Now, we're splitting up into two groups…Marcus and Oswin, I want you two guard Merlinus, Ninian and Hannah. Ninian and Hannah, you stay in Merlinus's tent, alright?"

"That reminds me," Hannah said in her shriveled old voice. "You have not yet asked for an augury, young tactician."

"We have no time," she responded impatiently and opened her mouth to continue her orders. Hannah, however, cut in.

"No time? You bring me, a fragile old woman, to the Dread Isle and tell me that you have _no time_?" she shrieked and Jasmine turned to face her fully, biting down on her lower lip.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you."

"Upset me? _Upset me?_"

"We have no time for your silly little old womanly outbursts!" Hector snapped angrily. "A battle's about to begin!"

"You should be more careful of the demands you make on this weary old frame," she said to Jasmine and paused at Hector's agitated look. "Oh, aye, the augury...Yes, yes, of course. Don't put your pants in a knot, young one," she said to Hector, who mumbled something underneath his breath about old ladies. "You will pay the 80 gold?"

"You will pay the 80 gold?" Jasmine repeated, turning to face Hector expectedly.

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Well, we can't have the augury without paying her 80 gold."

"80 gold for a stinkin' fortune?" Hector growled. "I think not."

"Then there will be no fortune-telling here," Hannah said, narrowing her eyes at the hotheaded lord.

"Fine, I don't care! Jasmine, battle plans!"

"I think we should get the augury, Hector," Lyn said from behind the two and Hector turned to face her.

"We're already wasting too much time!" he growled.

"You're wasting our time by arguing over this!" Lyn retorted. As the two started to bicker and their comrades gathered their equipment, Jasmine returned her attention to Hannah.

"Here's 80 gold," she said after digging through her bag. She put it in Hannah's outstretched, wrinkly old hand.

"All right," Hannah said and closed her eyes. "I sense the foe has a strange item…watch your possessions closely…Take the orchid-haired sky rider…there is someone she should meet." Her eyes opened. "Ah, I can see no more."

"Take the orchid-haired sky rider," Jasmine repeated thoughtfully. "Who will she meet?"

Hannah's thin lips curled into a smirk. "That, I cannot say."

Jasmine frowned but turned back around, surprised to find Hector and Lyn still going at it.

"Orders, Jasmine?" Eliwood asked eagerly. He was by Lyn and Hector, as if he had tried to stop their bickering, but failed miserably.

"Like I said, I want us to be split in two groups," she told the redhead. She scanned through her comrades and seemed to come to a decision. "Listen carefully, this is important," she said and spoke louder, finally silencing Lyn and Hector. "Florina, Raven, Rebecca…Priscilla, Lyn, Matthew, Sain, Kent, and I are to be in one group. The rest will be in the other group. Actually...scratch that." Everyone stopped bustling. "I want more people to be left behind with Merlinus, in case we miss a snag or something…" Her eyes trailed to Hector when she said this. "Dorcas, Florina, and Canas-stay behind with Marcus and Oswin."

With a few murmurs and clanks, everybody split up into their groups.

"You guys head east," Jasmine called out to Eliwood and Hector's group. "See if there are any bridges or snags. If not, come back and search elsewhere. We'll head south. And remember to use your torches."

"All right," Eliwood responded and he and his group headed off through the thick fog.

"Please give me two torches, Merlinus," Jasmine said and the merchant quickly hustled his way over to her, handing the torches to her. "Thank you."

They started their journey through the fog, Matthew leading the way.

"Um, Jasmine, can I ask you something?" Rebecca asked the tactician quietly as Sain started to chat idly to Priscilla. Raven looked ready to murder him and Bartre was talking to the redhead. "Jasmine?"

"Hmm? Sorry, what?" Jasmine said, snapping out of her thoughts to look down at the younger girl.

"Do you think Dart and I…have anything in common?"

"No, nothing that I can think of."

"Not at all?" Rebecca asked, sounding a bit disappointed, and Jasmine shook her head. "Hmmm…I don't know…there's something about him."

Jasmine didn't know how to respond but luckily for her, Lyn walked up beside her. "Jasmine, can I have a word?"

"...of course." Rebecca ran off toward the front of the group, striking up a conversation with Raven. "...are you mad at me?"

Lyn raised her eyebrows. "Mad? Of course not. Why would you come to such a decision?"

Jasmine bit her lip. "Well...I pretty much gave up Ninian's life."

"Yes, you did, and I'll say it wasn't the smartest thing to do," Lyn said honestly and Jasmine's face fell. "I feel very touched that you would go to such extremes for me, truly, I do, but...it's not right to give up another's life," she said gently.

"I know," she mumbled quietly, looking down at her feet as they walked. ""I'm sorry-really, I am. I feel really bad about it."

"Don't feel bad, Jasmine," Lyn said softly, eyebrows knitting as she saw the tactician's guilty face. "You were just standing up for me. You weren't thinking straight."

"I...I can't lose you, Lyn," she murmured. "You're my closest friend. I...I don't know what I'd do without you. You've always been there for me."

"Oh...Jasmine," Lyn said quietly and tightly hugged her, though she stiffened but returned the embrace a moment later. "You are like my second sister-Florina is my first," she smiled.

"Life would've been much better if I was your sister," Jasmine responded quietly. Lyn opened her mouth to respond but couldn't when Kent landed in front of the girls. Jasmine let out a surprised squeak and the two bent down, Lyn helping the Cavalier up.

"Are you alright, Kent?" she asked him.

"Yes, thank you, milady," he said and gave her a quick bow.

"Oh, will you stop that nonsense?" she said impatiently. "What's going on?"

"There's an attack up ahead," he said as he grabbed his sword that had flew the distance with him. "I can't see anything now..."

"Oh yeah, the torches!" Jasmine said suddenly and lit one of them just in time to see Sain pull his lance out of the enemy Cavalier.

"Kent!" Sain shouted. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine!" he shouted back and looked down at his dented armor. "My armor took the blow."

"We might need to get that fixed," Sain smiled.

"Well, as long as everybody's alright," Lyn said as she and Jasmine approached their comrades. "Nobody's hurt?"

"No," were the unanimous replies.

"Good. Now, we need to get a move on. Who knows where the next enemy will be and when they will strike."

"Yes, and we all need to stick together-AH!" Jasmine ducked the javelin that had been headed straight for her neck. In a matter of seconds the attacker was dead, blood staining the grass as he fell. Matthew glanced over at Jasmine, his daggers dripping with blood.

"…Thanks," she whispered, eying him anxiously. His fighting style had changed dramatically; there was no teasing, no cheery words from him, and no smiles. Nothing. It was quick and over in a flash.

Something was not right.

Lyn seemed to sense it too, looking at the thief out of the corner of her eye. "Yes, well, we best get a move on," she said and Raven rolled his eyes.

"No, we should all just sit around here and decorate each other with daisies," he mumbled sarcastically. He noticed the tactician raise an eyebrow at him but he ignored her, starting to walk off.

"Hey! Raven…I think. Wait!" Lyn called out after him. "We all need to stick together!"

The redhead growled wordlessly at this, stopping and twirling around to face her with a scowl. "Then let's hurry up and get a move on!" he snapped and sent a glare at Sain, stopping him from advancing any closer to Priscilla.

"That is no way to talk to Lady Lyndis!" Kent said defensively before Lyn could say anything. "It's very disrespectful!"

"Please, Kent," Lyn said, sounding slightly annoyed. "I am no different from any other person."

He frowned down at her. "But milady-"

Sain cleared his throat. "Please, milady, Kent…we will get behind if we don't continue on."

"Of course," Lyn said shortly.

"I apologize, milady," Kent said, bowing on his horse-which looked quite awkward. "I never meant to offend you."

"Your apology is accepted," Lyn said and nodded to him. "You're right, Sain; we must continue on south."

"Hey, there's a snag over here!" Bartre shouted. He had gotten rather bored of their conversations and had sauntered off to check the area.

"Sain, Kent, Bartre, and I will go over the snag," Jasmine announced, a plan formulated in her head. "You guys continue south," she said and handed Lyn her other torch.

"All right," Lyn nodded. "See you after the battle," she said and walked off with her group.

"Finally!" Sain said and grinned down at Jasmine. "You and I have not had any time to speak at all, my sweet!"

She smiled up at him. "I know; we haven't. It's quite sad, really, considering that we've been traveling together for weeks now," she said and pursed her lips slightly. "Talking to you always makes my day-I can honestly say I feel better right now," she said and Sain beamed, opening his mouth to compliment her, but Kent interjected.

"But now," Kent reprimanded, "is not the time for chit chat." With that, he dashed forward, attacking the snag along with Bartre.

"Oh, loosen up, Kent!" Sain said cheerfully. "Really, you need to stop being so stiff all the time."

"And you need to stop fooling around and trying to woo every woman you meet," Kent retorted as he continued his attack on the snag. Jasmine giggled.

"Ah, Kent, I do not _try_ to woo; I woo," the green knight grinned, earning a sigh from his red clad friend and another giggle from the tactician. Bartre let out something between a snort and a snicker. "Hey, you're supposed to be on my side, Bartre!"

"I've seen the looks the women give you," the ax man responded.

"So you've seen the way they look at me like I am their hero-because, of course, I will protect them all!"

The snag fell, not allowing anybody to respond to Sain. They crossed the snag one at a time and were immediately welcomed by two Cavaliers and a myrmidon.

"Hah, this is going to be fun!" Sain grinned and lifted his green lance. "I shall protect you, sweet Jasmine!" he said and charged forward, followed by Kent with a roll of his eyes and a battle roar from Bartre.

* * *

><p>The fire diminished and a loud curse followed.<p>

"Quiet, Hector. There could be enemies lurking anywhere."

"Yeah, and now we can't see them!" the blueheaded lord snapped.

"Can't Erk just light up another fire?" the other lord suggested.

"Maybe I could if you would get Serra off me."

"Argh-Serra! Get off the poor man!"

"But Lord Hector!" Erk and Hector winced at her whining voice. "He needs to stay by my side to protect me."

"She does have a point there."

"Then I guess I can't light the torch." There was a smirk in the mage's voice, which made Hector growl.

"Fine. Serra, get off him."

"But-"

"SERRA!"

"Nice job attracting the enemy, mate," Dart said as he swung his ax around at an archer. "I commend ye."

"Oh shut up," Hector growled as he unknowingly dodged a lightning bolt that would've knocked him out if he hadn't taken that step. "Gah! Erk, light this torch, NOW!"

There was some scrambling and 'oofs!' as the mage rushed over to the large lord. He lifted his spell book and raised it, starting his chant-

Only to have the book crumble apart.

"My spell book!" he cried out, looking at the small pieces that were left on his hand and he brushed off the ones on his head.

"What just happened?" Hector growled, unable to see anything because of the thick fog.

"My spell book! It doesn't work anymore-it just fell apart! I knew it was starting to get rusty…"

"Well, don't you have anymore?" Hector growled as he swung his ax around, hoping to hit the enemy. Instead, he forced Wil to duck and accidentally cut off a few pieces of his hair.

"I think you should be a bit more careful, Lord Hector," the archer said as he stood up, taking a few steps back. "I don't need a haircut just yet," he chuckled.

"What-? Oh. Oops." He stopped swinging his ax.

"Lord Hector, perhaps I can light up the torch with my lightning?" Lucius suggested from somewhere behind the lord.

"I don't see how it can hurt," he shouted as he dodged another attack.

"Now, if only I could find you…" the blond said and squinted as he flailed his arms about.

"That'll take too long!" Guy said impatiently as he made his way to Hector fairly easily, eyes adjusted to the fog quiet well. He took the torch out of his hands and lit it. The fire that crackled away was dim and Hector turned around only to see the enemy monk chanting with a book in his hands-

"MOVE!" he shouted and pushed Guy out of the way. A powerful lightning bolt struck the ground their feet had been on only moments ago and it cracked the ground.

"Whoa…" Guy mumbled, staring at the large crack, somehow still holding onto the torch. "That was...more powerful than usual."

"I like to call those critical hits," Hector said and the myrmidon looked at him curiously. "What? If they hit you, it's a big blow. And it's not every time you get a hit like that. Does that ever happen to you? Or is it just me? You know, when you get that strong adrenaline pump and-"

"I don't think now's the time to be talking about this," Eliwood said as he ran up to the two, Rapier glinting red. "While you two were chatting, I had to go deal with the man that nearly killed you again-had I not come along."

Hector snorted. "I could've defeated him."

"Yeah, if you weren't talking about critical hits," Eliwood said, a small smile itching away at his lips. His friend scowled and opened his mouth to retort but Lowen rushed passed him, sword in his hand.

"I-I see three or four people approaching us," he said a bit shakily, pointing to the outlines.

"Nice eyes, Lowen," Eliwood said kindly and the Cavalier blushed slightly.

"I do not need your praise, milord; I am merely doing my duty."

"Watch this," Hector grinned at Eliwood as he shouldered his ax and dashed off. He could only see the outlines of the approaching people even as he drew closer, because of the dim torch. He swung his ax around.

"Watch out!" one of them called out and Hector realized that he had just sliced through thin air. He growled, glancing around at the outlines.

"Is anybody hurt?" another voice called out and there was some rustling with hooves pressing against the grass.

"No," two male voices and one female voice responded. The female voice was one that Hector immediately recognized. He had heard it somewhere-it was familiar, so familiar, but where had he heard it…?

"What's going on?" Eliwood called out as he ran toward him, his comrades right beside him. "Are you alright?"

"…Eliwood? Is that you?" the female voice said in a confused voice. And Hector suddenly realized where he had heard that voice.

"Jasmine?"

"Hector?"

"Jasmine?" Eliwood asked with a confused frown as he reached them and Guy walked up, raising his torch to reveal the dumbfound figures. "Jasmine! Bartre! Sain! Kent!" Eliwood cried out. "What are you all doing here?"

"Getting attacked by a blueheaded lord," Jasmine said, shooting an annoyed glance at said lord. He raised his eyebrows before they quickly knotted together.

"I thought you were the enemy! You should've called out-"

Jasmine bit the inside of her cheek from snapping at the lord and Eliwood interrupted Hector calmly. "Now, you do have to admit that it was rash of you, Hector, to just attack people that we can't see."

"But they could've been the enemy!" Hector huffed defensively. "I had every right to attack! I couldn't see anything, anyways! They should've lit a torch up," he said and looked at Jasmine accusingly. She shot him a look in return.

"Err…that's my fault, actually," Sain chuckled wearily, scratching the back of his honey brown head. "I kind of dropped the torch into the river."

Kent rolled his eyes and Bartre chuckled at the memory.

"We can all travel together now!" Wil said cheerfully. "Let's go! Which way, Jas?"

"South."

"Let's get going," Eliwood said and started to walk forward with Guy by his side. "We should all be close to each other because the light is quite dim," he said to them over his shoulder. "I think it'll last a bit longer-"

And what was left of the fire sizzled away. Hector groaned loudly.

"Of course."

* * *

><p><em>Oh Hector. Attacking your own comrades? Tsk tsk. You really need to be more careful. <em>

_Well, I hope you enjoyed. I feel like a lot actually happened in this chapter. _


	9. Chapter 9

"I wondered what ever caused that force field that didn't allow magic to be used," Canas pondered out loud. "I still don't understand."

"The question is _who_ did it," Dart said. "Not how it worked."

Canas chuckled. "I suppose so. Maybe I should read up on it, though…I am still quite curious…" he trailed off and looked too deep in thought to carry on the conversation. Dart shrugged and started to hum to himself as he walked along. He glanced over to the right to see Rebecca looking at him. Realizing that he had caught her staring, she quickly looked back away. Eyebrows knotting slightly, he walked over to her.

"Can I help ye, lass?"

She glanced over at him so quickly that her neck cracked. She winced and put her hand against the back of her neck. "Ow."

"Ouch. Ye oughta be more careful; don't wanna get hurt before another battle, eh?"

She smiled wearily. "Yes, you're right," she chuckled. "As if the last two battles weren't enough."

"I like battlin'!" Dart grinned. "It's fun and time consumin'!"

Rebecca's green eyes widened slightly and she tilted her head to the side, looking lost in a world of thoughts and memories. Dart snapped his fingers in front of her face and she quickly shook her head.

"Ye alright, lass?"

"Oh yes…it's just…" She looked away, biting the bottom of her lip.

"It's just what?"

"You just…look like someone I know. Someone I knew many years back," she murmured.

"Oh? Who?"

"…My brother Dan."

"Hmm," Dart said as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Name don't ring a bell. Oh wait, it does actually!"

"It does?" Rebecca asked excitedly, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

"Aye, that other archer-Wil, I think-thought that I was some guy named Dan. Weird, huh?"

"Yeah," Rebecca said glumly, looking down at the ground as she marched on. "Weird."

Dart was quiet for a few moments before he said, "What's your name?"

"Rebecca," she answered half-heartedly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Rebecca!" Dart said cheerfully, trying to brighten her mood. "Ye know, you're quite young to be in an army."

She looked up at him, lips pursed. "I am not!" she huffed indignantly. "I can shoot pretty well and I can catch my own food!"

He chucked. "I'm just messin' with ya, lass! Surely if you've survived all this way, ye must be a darn good shot!"

She smiled. "Thanks. I know I can still do better, though!"

"A few more times at practice and you're a pro."

Rebecca opened her mouth to answer but closed it as everybody in front of her stopped walking. Turning her head to look at why everybody was stopping, she let her mouth drop again. Up ahead was a building like no other. It towered over the growing army, walls as tall as countless Hectors. The grand gate-The Dragon's Gate-was wide open, begging them to enter.

"Stay close together, everybody," Eliwood said to his comrades. There was no need to shout; everybody was silent. The three lords walked in first and were greeted by stone statues of dragons. They glanced around, hands near their weapons, but there appeared to be no sign of life.

Ninian was shivering, red eyes darting everywhere. "No…I shouldn't have come," she whispered and the lords turned to her, concerned.

"What is it, Ninian?" Eliwood asked worriedly.

"Something awful w-will happen…if I…I am here…" she said, grabbing onto her head as if in pain, eyes closed tightly.

"She's getting worse!" Eliwood shouted in alarm. "Let's get her out of here!"

Just as he grabbed onto her arm, a cold voice said, "You'll not be going anywhere."

Somebody appeared out of thin air in front of Ninian and the lords. A few people yelped. The intruder's eyes were bright amber, his hair and cloak a jet black.

"That little bird has escaped this island cage twice," he mused, pupils turning cat-like as he looked at Ninian. "Now that she's back, she'll not be able to escape again."

"Who are you?" Eliwood shouted as he jumped in front of a shivering Ninian protectively.

"I am Ephidel. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," he said and half-bowed in mock.

"You're Ephidel?" Hector roared, pushing past Ninian and Eliwood. "I've been waiting for this!"

"You must be Marquess Ostia's brother, Lord Hector," Ephidel said calmly. "And you," he said, eerie eyes traveling to Lyn, "are Caelin's beloved princess, Lady Lyndis."

Lyn didn't answer, eyebrows knotted, hand on the hilt of her sword.

"By the way, the gift I left you in the forest…was it to your liking? The corpse of that filthy redheaded traitor?"

"FIEND!" Hector roared in rage as he raised his ax. "I'm going to crush the life out of you with my bare hands!"

"Oh, I see now. She was an Ostian spy, wasn't she? Don't worry, she didn't suffer. It only took one blow."

"Die!" he shouted as he charged forth, swinging his ax. Ephidel smirked slightly before vanishing suddenly and Hector stumbled a bit, glancing around furiously. Ephidel reappeared beside Ninian and she let out a cry of alarm.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Eliwood shouted, unsheathing his Rapier and pointing it at Ephidel threateningly. He merely chuckled, grabbing Ninian's arm.

"You think you can win a battle against me? If you're like your father, I should be able to finish you in a single swoop."

"Don't talk about my father!" Eliwood shouted angrily.

"I have no time for idle chit chat. I have some business to get to. Come along now, birdie," he said and disappeared with Ninian just as Eliwood and Hector charged forth.

"Blast!" Hector growled, throwing his ax down in anger. "Blast it all!"

"He just…vanished," Lyn said mystically, glancing around. "How…?"

A man galloped toward them on a horse. "I've been waiting for you," he smirked and everybody turned to face him. "You've done well to come so far."

"Where is Lord Elbert?" Hector demanded, taking steps toward the stranger.

"Inside…he's farther inside. Not that you'll ever manage to make it over there-I'll kill you all before you do," he said and looked over at the army behind the lords. "Mere children many of you are. You shall soon see the true power of Lord Nergal!" he laughed and dashed off before anybody could respond.

"A battle?" Lyn said incredulously. "Are we to battle?"

"Of course!" Hector said as he picked up his ax and shouldered it. "We will go farther in and rescue Lord Elbert!"

"Orders, Jasmine!" Eliwood shouted as he glanced around in the crowd of his comrades. The tactician weaved her way through them and stopped in front of the lords, blue eyes zooming everywhere.

"We can't take everyone with us," she said. "There's not enough room on the battle field."

"Then hurry up and tell us who we need and don't, damn it!" Hector said angrily. "We have no time to waste!"

"Florina and…Fiora, was it?" she said loudly as she turned around to face her comrades. "You two will not be battling today." The sisters nodded dutifully. "Neither will Canas, Lucius, Kent, Sain-" He started to protest. "-or Oswin." Her eyes rested on Rebecca's and she added hastily, "And Rebecca."

"That's nearly half our army, Jasmine," Eliwood frowned. "We won't have enough manpower, will we?"

"Jasmine knows what she's doing," Lyn cut in before Jasmine could respond. "You have no reason to doubt her."

"…Anyways," Jasmine continued uncomfortably, seeming a bit embarrassed, "I want Marcus and Dart to guard Merlinus. Shall we get going?"

"Yes, let's," Eliwood said. "You all," he said to the ones that were not to battle, "should wait outside the Gate, away from harm."

They grudgingly left, Sain still protesting.

"Matthew," Jasmine said and she turned to face the thief, who was twirling daggers in his hands. "Go unlock that door over there." She gestured to the closed door that hid whatever was beyond the walls. "There might be some treasure."

A ghost of a smirk skimmed his lips. "Yes, Lady Tactician," he said and was gone in a flash. She stared after him for a moment before turning back around, only to be greeted by the face of a worried lord.

"There's a door over there leading into some sort of tunnel-like structure," Eliwood said as he gestured to it. "Shall we open it?"

"Yes." She paused for a moment. "Does anybody have a door key?" she shouted at her comrades, all of which were rather clumped together as they walked through the narrow field, squished in between two structures.

"Yeah, but I'm a little busy at the moment!" Erk shouted as he ducked from a flying javelin.

"If only I hadn't sent Matthew off…" Jasmine grumbled. "I have a couple of chest keys, but that won't do."

"Maybe you should learn how to use a lock pick," Matthew said from behind, causing her to jump. He chuckled a bit. "Really, you call yourself a tactician?"

"Matthew! Wha-how-"

"I got a brave bow," he said casually as he handed it to her. "Maybe you should give it to somebody."

"That was quick!" she said in awe, staring at the brave bow in her hands.

"Yes, well, the quicker I kill them, the quicker I find Leila's killer, correct?" he stated simply as he unlocked the door. Eliwood and Jasmine eyed each other worriedly, neither of them responding.

"Do…do you suppose that man Ephidel-?" Jasmine asked and Matthew knew what she meant.

"No, it wasn't him. But the killer's around here…I just know," he said and his eyes flashed dangerously. An arrow flew right over his head and he quickly turned, twirling a dagger around in his hand.

"How many times must I tell you to stop swinging your ax so wildly?" Lyn exclaimed angrily as she jumped back from Hector's ax, missing it by a few mere inches.

"Maybe you shouldn't stay so close to me!" was Hector's retort as his ax slammed into the enemy knight's thick armor.

"If I don't, you'll go do something reckless!" Lyn shouted back as she dodged a blast of fire that burned the grass.

"We're all way too cramped together!" Serra shrieked and squirmed her way through her comrades to reach an injured Erk. "I have no room to do anything!"

"Raven, Priscilla, and Guy-all three of you come over here!" Jasmine shouted over the clanging of weapons.

"I'm a little busy at the moment!" Raven shouted back as he dodged the thrust of a lance. "Priscilla-hurry, go on."

His sister looked at him worriedly but galloped off toward Jasmine, Guy following her a moment later.

"Raven!"

"I told you I'm busy, damn it!" he growled back as he slashed away at the enemy, who fell a moment later with a dagger sticking out of his neck. Glancing over to the right, he saw Matthew rush toward the fallen enemy to retrieve his dagger. Without another word, he walked over to an impatient Jasmine.

"What took you so long?"

"I was trying to stay alive, so sorry to have kept you waiting," he sneered and her eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"You'll be with Priscilla, Guy, and Eliwood-you four venture through that tunnel," she said and pointed to it. "We won't be so cramped this way."

"Brilliant," he said sarcastically. "Utterly brilliant."

"You're just handing out compliments like they're chocolates today, aren't you?" she snapped back at him and he scowled.

"I don't recall you being quite as rude last time."

She seemed to soften slightly. "Just go," she mumbled and looked away. He raised an eyebrow but left to join his group. She glanced at the brave bow in her hand and started her journey back to Merlinus's tent.

"There are too many blasted Cavaliers," Hector huffed as he ducked a stab from a lance. "And they keep coming one after another!"

"Oh quit your complaining, Hector!" Lyn admonished as she sailed through the air gracefully, slamming her sword right into the enemy Cavalier's skull. She landed back on the grass with a barely audible thud and grinned at the bluehead. "It's fun to jump through the air like that."

His mouth was open in awe but he quickly closed it. "I can't fly through the air like you! Look at this armor!" he huffed defensively and gestured to the thick and heavy armor that matched the color of his hair. "You try having a five ton armor rest on your shoulders!"

"I don't need armor," Lyn mused, ducking from an incoming javelin, "because I'm not slow and clumsy like you."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey! Who are you calling slow and clumsy?"

She giggled but quickly stopped, forest green eyes going wide. "Watch out!" she shouted as she ran toward Hector, somehow managing to push him out of the way. A fire engulfed the area that he had been standing on only seconds before.

The two ended up in a rather awkward position. Lyn was on top of Hector, her face only a few inches above his, and they both stared at each other blankly for a moment. Snapping to her senses, Lyn quickly jumped up and politely offered him her hand. Raising an eyebrow at the hand, Hector heaved himself up. Lyn scowled.

"That was rude of you."

"What was?"

"I offered you my hand but you didn't take it."

"I didn't need it."

The two kept at it for a while since there was no Eliwood to stop them. He was too busy in the long tunnel-like structure, dodging arrows from nomads on the other side of the wall that divided them.

"Not trying to be rude or anything, but I don't think now is the best time for your conversations, Lord Hector, Lady Lyn," Wil said as he shot an arrow at a nomad. "There are still quite a few enemies left. Actually, there are too many nomads for my liking."

"Oh, of course!" Lyn said and abruptly stopped bickering with Hector. "This is no time for your silly arguments, Hector!"

His jaw dropped and his eyebrows furrowed. "Me? _You're_ the one who started arguing with me over some stupid-"

He was cut off when an arrow clanked off his armor. Grinning, he shouldered his ax and dashed off toward the closest enemy, Lyn hot on his heels.

The wall broke down and Guy was the first to run out, followed by the three others. An enemy nomad immediately noticed them and quickly strung a bow on his arrow. Guy and Eliwood ran forward to attack, leaving the two redheads to explore their surroundings.

"Look, there are the others!" Priscilla said and pointed to the left to see that, surely enough, their comrades were fighting away at many horse ridden men.

"Wonderful," Raven replied sarcastically. An enemy Cavalier charged toward Priscilla but didn't even get a chance to properly raise his sword; Raven flew the air and killed him with a sickening crunch.

"Thank you," Priscilla breathed, wide eyed. He didn't respond and wiped off the blood that had gotten on his face with the back of his hand.

"Hey, over here!" Guy shouted, waving his arms at the two to get their attention. "We found a way to break inside!"

Raven and Priscilla looked at each other before turning around and dashing off.

"Lyn, Lowen, Matthew-all three of you go through here," Jasmine ordered as she gestured to the open door. "I think it can also lead inside further in."

"All right," Lyn said and nodded. "I hope you don't kill any of our comrades because of your wild swinging," she added to Hector over her shoulder and bounded off with Lowen and Matthew.

"Blasted woman," Hector grunted as he ducked from an arrow. "Is she always like that?"

"Not really. I guess she just doesn't like you," Jasmine responded with a shrug. Hector scowled and looked back at his opponent to find that he was already dead. Dorcas grabbed his fallen hand ax.

"Nice one," Hector commented.

"Thank you."

"I'm going to go look for Eliwood's group," Jasmine said and left the scene, dodging arrows and sword attacks. She reached the area where the tunnel-like structure had ended and found that the wall had been broken down and there was no sight of her comrades. Glancing around, she found another wall that had been broken down in the building in front of her. She walked through it to find herself in a hallway with two chests. She walked up to the first one and frowned to see that it was already open; somebody had already pilfered the treasure. She looked over to the second one and was disappointed to see that there wasn't anything there either.

She heard somebody murmur some sort of incantation and she quickly turned to see a mage looking at her with a raised tome in his hand. Eyes widening, she jumped back from the fire that burst out in front of her. She shielded her face with her arms and felt a horrible stinging sensation envelope her arms. The fire disappeared and Jasmine slowly lowered her arms to stare at them. She was horrified to see that her skin had vanished, revealing red flesh with a burnt scent that smacked her right in the face.

The mage started another chant and Jasmine quickly turned around, starting to run off, feeling the stinging in her arms grow as she heard another blast of fire land right behind her. She could feel the heat radiate her legs and didn't dare turn back to see what was going to happen next-

Somebody passed by her and she stopped running for a moment, panting, to turn around to see who it was. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as she saw a certain redhead sail through the air and attack the mage. She ran in place, looking back and forth, trying to decide whether or not to leave.

Raven jumped back from the circle of fire that flashed before him. He quickly shrunk against the wall, shielding his eyes from the radiating heat. He could feel the flames start to grow closer and closer to him, only inches away from licking him-

The fire suddenly disappeared and Raven sucked in a deep breath of air. He turned to find the mage glaring at Jasmine and raising his tome, starting to chant-

The mercenary flew through the air and stabbed his sword right through the mage's back. He let out a scream and fell to the ground, dead. Raven looked up to face Jasmine, breathing hard, and saw that her face was dotted with blood. And one of her boots were gone.

She blinked at him slowly. "You saved me," she said as if she didn't quite believe it.

"It's not like I had much a choice," he said sharply. "I have to keep on the lookout for careless little you!"

"I'm not careless."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"I saved your life twice, and you don't thank me?"

"You didn't save my life twice."

"Yes, I saved it the first time on that pirate ship."

"I thanked you that time."

"You haven't thanked me this time."

"…Thank you," she murmured grudgingly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Do you enjoy aggravating me?"

"Wha-you're the one who's aggravating _me_!"

"I don't think I've done anything wrong."

"I think you have."

He sighed exasperatedly. "This arguing is a waste of my time! I have some business to do-"

He was interrupted when a rumbling noise made the ground beneath their very feet tremble and pieces of rubble started to fall on the top of their heads.

"Watch out!" Jasmine screamed and pushed Raven aside. He fell to the trembling ground, Jasmine falling beside him, and watched the ceiling collapse where he had just been standing.

"What's going on?" he shouted at her as he stood up, putting a hand against the trembling wall.

"I don't know!" she shouted back as she stood up shakily. The shaking stopped suddenly and an eerie silence followed. "What in the name of St. Elimine…?"

"Are we stuck?" he asked suddenly, walking up to the rubble that had nearly crushed him. It acted like a barrier between the rest of the hallway and the part they were stuck in. He attempted to move a few pieces but was unsuccessful. He swore underneath his breath and ran his fingers through his fiery hair.

"…At least I got my boot over here," Jasmine mumbled and Raven raised an eyebrow as he watched her slip a brown boot over one of her feet.

"I was wondering why one leg was boot-less."

"I took it off when I hit the mage with it to stop him from burning you alive," she said casually and paused for a moment, smirking. "That means I just saved your life!"

"So?"

"You owe me a thank you!" she grinned and he scowled.

"Actually, you wouldn't have saved my life if I hadn't come around to save yours."

"...Your point is?"

"I owe you nothing because you saved my life when I had to save yours."

She pursed her lips and didn't respond. Raven smirked and he walked up the pile of rubble. "What do you propose we do to get out of here?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know." She paused for a moment, eyes widening, and she stood up quickly. "We're trapped here!" she shouted, the realization hitting her like a wave.

He rolled his eyes. "How observant of you."

"What are we going to do?" she asked worriedly, ignoring his sarcastic comment. "There are no cracks so we can't break down the wall!"

"You're the tactician; you think of something."

"I'm a military tactician, _Sir_ Raven," she said in a clipped tone. "Not a what-do-we-do-when-we're-trapped-behind-a-pile-of-stone tactician."

"You're never so rude to anybody else, other than that pink-haired cleric," Raven commented, looking annoyed. "And your attitude is getting quite irritating."

"I'm not nice to people who push my buttons," she snapped, "and you're one of them."

"I can say the same to you!" he snapped right back and she didn't respond. He too didn't say anything as he stood up, grabbing his fallen sword. He walked over to the pile of rubble and started to stab away at it.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

"Trying to get us out of here."

"I don't think that's going to work."

He sent her a look. "You have no better ideas?"

She sighed. "No."

"Good. Now help me out."

"How can I? I have no weapons."

"Not even a dagger?" he asked incredulously.

"No."

"Wow, you really are useless."

She looked hurt, though he couldn't see her expression. And even if he did, he wouldn't have cared. "I know," she mumbled and he raised his eyebrows in surprise; he hadn't expected her to agree. Rather, he had expected another argument to break out.

"At least you're smart enough to know that you are," he said as he continued to stab away at the pile of rubble.

"That's the first time you every complimented me."

He turned to face her with a raised eyebrow. "I wouldn't call it a compliment."

"It was probably the closest thing to it, coming from you," she giggled.

He shrugged and turned back around. "That's probably true."

It was quiet for a few moments other than the clanking of the sword against stone. "I wonder what the others are doing," Jasmine said conversationally, tired of the silence.

"Probably enjoying their time now that you're gone."

"Jerk," she mumbled.

He smirked at her over his shoulder. "What? You're the one who asked."

"I just hope they found Lord Elbert," she said and he was quiet for a moment before speaking.

"What do we do if did find him?"

She shrugged. "Go back home, I suppose."

"Home," Raven echoed.

"Yes, home," she said, sounding mesmerized. "Where are you from, Raven?" she asked conversationally and quickly added, "not that you have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Then I won't tell you."

"Okay."

He didn't respond as he chopped away, thinking about what he would do if they had found Lord Elbert. Perhaps he could simply kill that bastard Hector the moment he saw him-after all, everybody would probably be too busy cheering to notice. And he would finally avenge his parents' death as well as his home…

He blinked at the large crack he had made in between two particularly large pieces of broken stone and jumped back. He quickly dashed over beside Jasmine, near the back of the hallway, to watch the debris give way. After a few moments the rumbling stopped and he slowly walked over the large gape he had made in the middle of the wreckage. He glanced back at Jasmine, who was staring at the rubble with an open mouth. He sheathed his sword and walked toward the mess.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked and didn't wait for her to respond, walking out the large hole he created. He started to walk down the deserted hallway and didn't even bother to wait for Jasmine as he heard her scurry behind him.

"Where is everybody?" she asked, glancing around.

"How should I know?" he snapped back. "I've been stuck behind with you!"

"Sorry for the inconvenience!" she retorted, sounding just as snappy as him. "It's not my fault the ceiling collapsed on us."

He twirled around to face her, scowling. "If you hadn't walked inside without a guard, _I_ wouldn't have had to go save you. So in the end, if _you_ hadn't walked inside, none of this would've happened!"

She looked like he had just slapped her across the face. She looked away and down at the ground. "Just leave me behind, then," she grumbled. "I'll just be a burden; I've always just been a burden," she whispered, her voice barely audible. For a moment, he was horrified, thinking that she was going to cry. But no tears came and a long silence filled the air.

"...What happened to your arms?" he asked, noticing the red flesh.

"They got burnt."

"We need to get you to a healer," he said and she looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"I'm surprised you didn't insult me."

"I was worried that you would cry."

She blinked blankly. "I don't cry."

He raised an eyebrow. "Not at all?"

"Never. I haven't cried since I was a little girl."

"Well that's a relief," Raven replied and she smiled slightly.

"What, have you ever made a girl cry?"

"Let's get you to a healer," he said, not answering the question. She pursed her lips but nodded. "You have blood on your face," he added and she immediately put a hand up to a cheek.

She tried to rub it off. "Did I get it?"

"No."

"What about now?"

"No; it's all dried up."

She frowned and rubbed her face even harder, making it tinge red. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed onto her hand and ignored her flinching as he leaned in toward her.

"Stop doing that," he growled, looking even more menacing because of the close proximity. She blinked at him and opened her mouth to speak-

"Ooh, what do we have here?" a male voice called out teasingly and the two turned to see a man walking toward them casually, twirling daggers in his hands. Jasmine snatched her hand away from Raven the same time he let go of it, which caused Jasmine to stumble a bit. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything," the lavender haired man continued playfully, putting his hands up innocently. He wore a black cloak that resembled one of the Black Fang's and there were to long scars across his left eye. Raven immediately unsheathed his large sword, pointing it threateningly at the unknown man. "I mean no harm!" the man laughed, eying the sword with a smile.

"And I'm to believe that?" the redhead asked with narrowed eyes, taking steps toward the stranger.

"Yes," the man chirped, "because it's the truth!"

"Stay there, Jasmine," Raven ordered her and he ran forth, jumping up in the air and slamming his sword down into-

The ground. A loud ringing noise echoed throughout the hallway as the stone and iron collided. But it wasn't just that; it sounded as if something broke. Raven slowly raised his sword, which now looked like it had been sliced in half.

"I knew your sword was looking a little rusty," Jasmine commented and the mercenary shot her a dangerous look. His dark brown eyes widened alarmingly.

"Watch out!"

Jasmine stiffened and held her breath as she saw a dagger approach her neck from behind. Everything was silent and still until somebody started to laugh from behind the tactician. Two daggers clanged onto the floor and the lavender haired man poked his head out from behind Jasmine's shoulder, grinning.

"Did you really think that I was going to attack you?"

She opened and closed her mouth like a fish, lost for words. Raven was the one who spoke, looking at the man with narrowed eyes. "Why did you do that?"

"I already told you; I mean no harm," the man said as he walked up beside Jasmine. She turned to face him, surprised expression gone, replaced by suspicion.

"You're clearly a thief or an assassin-you would carry around more than two daggers with you."

He faced her, smiling in amusement. "Very good job. How did you know that?"

"I'm a tactician-I've done my fair share of research."

"Firstly, it would take too long for me to completely empty out my pockets," the man grinned. "And there's also a chance that-" He jerked his head toward Raven "-your boyfriend might try to attack me." Both Raven and Jasmine started to bellow at the same time and the man simply laughed. "You guys are too cute!"

They both scowled. "Though I have no idea how this is relevant to the issue at hand in _any_ way," Jasmine huffed, "he is NOT my boyfriend."

"Are you sure?" the scar-man grinned. "You guys look adorable together!"

Jasmine and Raven groaned simultaneously. "What is wrong with you?" Raven huffed. "What kind of Fang tell his enemies they look…adorable together?"

"One with eyes," the man winked and dodged the broken sword Raven angrily threw at him. "Have a bit of a temper, do we?"

"…Who are you?" Jasmine asked warily.

"How rude of me! I am Legault," he said and bowed mockingly. "At your service, milady."

Raven rolled his eyes and Jasmine looked at him suspiciously. "And what brings you here, Legault?"

"It's a funny story, actually," he grinned as he straightened up. "You see, I was leaving the Black Fang for good when I came across your group. I spoke to Lady Lyndis-kind girl, isn't she?-and the lords have allowed me to join your army."

"We're to believe that?" Raven scoffed.

"Yes. And if you want to attack me, you can't anymore," he grinned, raising Raven's sword. He paused for a moment, looking at the sword. "Not that you could've done much with this."

Raven scowled deeply. "It's not my fault we didn't stock up enough."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to imply something?"

"I'm not implying; I'm going out and saying it."

"Oh, so it's _my_ fault that we didn't stock up? Excuse me for-"

"When did I say that?" he growled in irritation. "I was talking about that stupid excuse of a lord, Hector!"

"You should stop calling Hector an idiot. He's actually okay once you-"

"Hah! HAH! Of course you stand up for the man that pays you-"

"You didn't even let me finish my sentence! Hector may come off to you as a-"

"Twit? I already know that."

"He's not a twit! I mean he's a jerk and all but I guess I'm kind of starting to warm up to him-"

"You shouldn't, considering all the things he's done!"

"Wha-well, sure, he's almost killed a few of our comrades but-"

"He's destroyed and killed plenty-"

"We're _supposed_ to kill Fang-"

"I wasn't talking about that! I was talking about-" He cut himself short but Jasmine didn't seem to notice, already starting to speak.

"You really should stop-"

"Ah," Legault sighed and the two turned to face him. "As much as I enjoy watching two lovers argue, I really do think we should get back to the others."

Raven rolled his eyes and Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

He chuckled. "C'mon now, let's get a move on!" he said cheerfully and turned around, black cloak flying. Raven and Jasmine didn't even look over at each other as they followed him. "I better not see any funny business back there," Legault added with a smirk, glancing over at the two over his shoulder. "You know how crazy lovers can get."

Simultaneously, the two shouted, "We're not lovers!"

Legault chuckled. "That's what they all say."

* * *

><p><em>Oh. My. God. I was so irritated typing this chapter because it didn't let me save and I wrote a lot and blah blah blah...sigh. Oh well. It's still pretty good. And I did enjoy writing about Raven and Jasmine. And Legault. I love him. I can't wait to continue writing about him! Jasmine and Raven should watch out. Or I guess I should say Legault should watch out...he really shouldn't piss Raven off. Hah. Raven and Jasmine have just gotten themselves in for a loooong journey. :P<br>_


	10. Chapter 10

"Great. First there are poison arrows, and now poison axes? They can't just give us a break, can they?" Hector growled as Priscilla galloped off toward another fallen comrade.

"Maybe you should learn how to dodge things better," Lyn smirked at him as she ducked an incoming poison arrow.

"Do we have to go over this again? It's hard to move around in this armor!" he huffed.

"That's just an excuse so you don't have to admit that you're not very good at avoiding things! Heck, without that armor, you'd probably be dead by now!"

"That's not true!"

"Is so, and you know it!" she shouted as she jumped up and met her blade with an ax of the enemy. Hector quickly ran forward and swung his ax around. Lyn jumped back as his ax made its way into the enemy's guts. He let out a gurgled shriek before falling onto his back, poison ax falling out of his cold hands.

"Hah! What do you think of that?"

"I didn't need your help," Lyn scoffed.

"Hah! You just don't want to admit that you needed my help!" he grinned and pointed at her. She scowled.

"That's not true! I really didn't need your help! I could've handled that Cavalier on my own."

Hector only smirked and raised an eyebrow. Lyn's eyebrows furrowed and she let out an annoyed huff.

"It's because I'm a woman, isn't it?" she snapped suddenly. "You think less of me simply because I'm a woman!"

"Wha-no, I didn't-"

"This is the last straw!" she said and pointed her sword at him. "I challenge you to a duel, Hector!"

He gaped at her in disbelief and quickly put his hands up, backing away. "Hey, wait a second-"

"Now is not the time, you two," Eliwood said from behind them. He sounded surprisingly relaxed and content. "You two can go spar later. We must battle the enemy right now."

"Oh, my apologies," Lyn said and ducked an arrow as she faced Eliwood. "You look so calm," she commented at the eased lord.

"Yes, Ninian's dance has rejuvenated me so," he smiled. "Thank you," he added, looking back at Ninian over his shoulder.

"Not a problem, Lord Eliwood," she said quietly and smiled shyly.

Hector raised an eyebrow. "What kind of dances do you do? Surely only men will feel rejuvenated."

"Hector!" Lyn gasped, slapping his arm. Ninian's pale cheeks tinged pink and Eliwood's did as well.

"Ninian does a sacred dance that makes you feel refreshed-not the kind of dancing you're thinking of!" Eliwood managed to say, cheeks still pink. Hector smirked at him.

"And what kind of dancing were _you_ thinking of, Eliwood?"

His cheeks went as red as hair and when he opened his mouth to respond, a burst of bright light flashed in front of them. Shielding their eyes, they quickly saw an enemy monk holding a Shine. Without another word, they dashed off.

"Get down here and fight me, ye coward!" Dart shouted angrily at the enemy Pegasus knight fighting Florina. He shook his empty fist in the air and lifted the hand that held the torch. "C'mon now, don't attack the little lady!"

He was unsure of what to do; he was the only one accompanying Florina, seeing as how they had gone to a shop to purchase a few healing staffs. He had a hand ax to throw up into the sky but there was the chance of hitting Florina. So, instead, he was trying to aggravate the enemy into flying down to him.

And after a few more cuss words, it seemed to do the trick.

He dodged the javelin that was thrown at him and watched the Pegasus descend. The other one quickly followed and they both landed on the ground, one after another. He blew out the torch so he could fight without having to carry it and wouldn't have the possibility of burning himself. He ran forward and raised his ax only to have a wing smack into his face. He spluttered and spit out the feathers that made their way into his mouth.

"Florina?" he shouted as he dodged a thrust from a lance.

"I-I can't see!" she squeaked quietly from somewhere behind. Aha. So the Pegasus he was battling now was surely the enemy, not his comrade. Then, he might as well get this over with.

He jumped up swiftly and sliced his ax through…thin air. It wasn't the crunching sound he expected. Instead, a little yelp came from behind and he quickly turned back around, squinting through the darkness and cursing himself for blowing out the torch. Grabbing the fallen torch and lighting it up with a quick brush against the ground, he ran toward the yelps. He was now able to see the two Pegasus knights battling and watched Florina fall off her Pegasus.

Without a thought, he flung his hand ax forth and right into the enemy's back. There was a shriek as she fell off and her Pegasus let out an alarmed noise, flapping its wings and flying off. Dart walked over to the dead enemy and pulled his ax out-it was gleaming red. He turned around and spotted the fallen Florina. He rushed over to her and bent down to her level.

"Ye alright, lass?" he asked and she looked up at him with wide blue-gray eyes. Her right hand was over her left arm and bright red blood was oozing out from the gapes in between her fingers. "Ooh…ye got a vulnery? Otherwise we'll have to hurry and fine of 'em healers."

She nodded mutely and pointed shakily at a bag strapped on Huey. Dart got up and started to rummage through the bag when Huey let out an alarmed neigh and raised her front legs, flapping her wings. Dart let out a yelp and, once again, got flapped in the face with a wing.

"Huey!" Florina squeaked in alarm. "It's alright, he won't hurt you!"

Her master's words seemed to calm her down; Huey got back down on all four legs and folded her wings back in place. Dart scowled and slowly walked toward the Pegasus, pausing for a moment or two, thinking that he would get attacked. Florina giggled quietly when she saw him do this. He glanced back at her, pursing his lips.

"What? I'm afraid it's gonna attack me again!"

"S-she w-won't."

Trusting her word, he walked straight up the calmed Pegasus and rummaged through the bag strapped on it. He drew out a nearly empty vulnery. He returned to her and then looked at her unsurely.

"Err…can you use it on yourself, or…?"

"I-I c-can do it," she squeaked. Her voice reminded him of a frightened mouse. He handed her the vulnery and she pressed it against her open wound. It disappeared within moments and she held up the bloody and now empty vulnery.

"That takes care o' that," he grinned. "Now 'ow about we get some new vulneries while we get those healing staffs?"

"Look, a ballista!" Wil grinned as he dashed up to the large device. Rebecca followed, looking slightly amused.

"And how do you plan on using that when we can barely see anything?"

He paused and frowned like a sad puppy, making her giggle. "Well, you don't know if you don't try, right?" he said, suddenly brightening up. She raised her eyebrows and her eyes widened as she watched Wil's hand go for the lever.

"Wait-"

The oversized arrow flung through the air and into the dark of the night. Rebecca raised her torch and looked around frantically. There was a shriek from up ahead.

"The enemy's gotten a hold of the ballista!" They heard the familiar voice of Guy shout. The two archers glanced over at each other. Wil slowly stepped away from the ballista and chuckled meekly.

"Oops."

"Good thing we noticed that arrow, huh?" Legault said casually as he stared at the arrow lying in front of Guy's feet. "It could've really done some damage."

"No kidding. Should we go check if the enemies have possession of the ballista?"

Legault shrugged. "I don't know; you can if you want. I, for one, am going to see if any of these guys have any gold on them…" He glanced around, his eyes of experience easily able to see through the dark of the night. "Behind!" he shouted and Guy immediately ducked, hearing something clang off iron. He quickly glanced up to see Legault flying through the air, daggers twirling, lips curled in a smirk. The Sacaen quickly got back up and turned around to see Legault groping through the dead enemy's pockets. He frowned and let the body fall to the ground.

"Nothing," he said with a sad shake of his head.

Guy sighed and shook his head as well. "You thieves really need to learn how to respect the dead."

He raised an eyebrow, grinning slightly. "Why would I respect those that don't deserve it?"

"Whether or not they deserve it, I don't appreciate how you all go through their pockets looking for gold. If they're alive, sure, go ahead. But dead? That's just disrespectful."

"I would've offered my condolences if he had any gold," he smirked in response. Guy rolled his eyes and mumbled something underneath his breath. "Yes, well I don't honor the dead as much as you Sacaens do."

"Clearly not."

"Ouch."

Guy didn't respond and started to walk off in search of more enemies. Legault followed him.

"What, so you don't like thieves?"

"Not really."

"That's not nice to judge a person based on their occupation," he teased, waggling a finger at him.

Guy chuckled. "My apologies. I simply have not had the...best of times with Matthew, the other thief in our army."

"Ah, the blonde one? I know him," Legault said, looking slightly amused. "Not the friendliest fellow around, is he?"

Guy furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth to answer but Legault abruptly froze. Confused, Guy started a "What?" but Legault turned around and threw a dagger. A yelp followed and there was the sound of a thud. He bounded toward the sound, disappearing into the black of the night. He returned with a grin and to see an impressed Guy.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?" he smirked all too knowingly, twirling his bloodied dagger.

"Do _that_-attack him without even looking at him! How did you even know there was an enemy coming?"

"I heard him," he stated simply, grinning.

"B-but then you threw your dagger without even being able to see him...!" he said in disbelief.

"Oh, I could see him. What, you couldn't?" he teased and Guy scowled.

"No, of course not! I have fairly well eyes, but not as well as those of a thief."

"Oh, it's alright," he said and patted this shoulder sympathetically. Guy pushed his hand away and started to walk off, quickly followed by Legault. "Aw, why the long face?"

Guy grumbled something inaudibly. Then, louder, he said, "Can we just keep on moving? The middle of a battle is no time for idle chit chat."

"Oh, you don't like talking to me? That hurts, it really does," he said and feigned hurt, putting a hand to his chest.

Guy looked annoyed but changed the subject. "You said you knew Matthew..."

"Yeah, just met him, if that's what you're asking."

"Oh. All right."

Legault tilted his head. "That's it?"

"Huh?"

"It sounded as if you were going to go off with a lot of questions."

"Oh, no. I just thought you knew Matthew earlier on and that maybe he forced you along to join up in our army. It wouldn't be a surprise," he added with a scowl.

He laughed. "Why would he do that? He didn't seem too happy to have me as a new member."

Guy's eyebrows knotted. "Why not?"

Legault raised an eyebrow. "Have you not heard?"

"Heard what?"

"I'm an ex Fang member."

"Oh. That makes sense as to why Matthew wasn't so friendly to you," Guy said and Legault chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he said, though he still smiled. Guy frowned. "Anyways, now that we've gotten all that settled, do you want to go in the arena and take a few swings?"

"Arena?"

"Yeah, there's one up further ahead," he said and gestured to it. Guy turned around, squinting through the dark.

"Do you think the lords will mind if we go…?"

"Nah, I doubt they will," Legault said breezily. "They're too busy in the front lines."

"Then let's go!" Guy said excitedly, "I need to continue improving my skills!" he said and ran off.

Legault chuckled and ran after him. "Strange boy."

"She looks quite a bit like our darling Florina, doesn't she?" Sain said to Kent as he pointed to the flying Pegasus knight flying above them. "Both of them are so beautiful…" he sighed wistfully and his companion rolled his eyes.

"We're in the mist of a battle, you lout! There is no time to be daydreaming."

"Oh come now, Kent, no need to be so harsh. Even you cannot deny the beauty each of the sisters hold. Or any of the lovely ladies in our army, might I add."

"I don't lounge around thinking about how beautiful the ladies in our army are, unlike some supposed knights," he snapped. "I spend my free time thinking how to protect the lords and others."

"Protecting Lady Lyndis, you mean?" he smirked.

"Of course," Kent replied, cheeks tinging pink, "she is my liege, after all."

"And a very beautiful liege at that."

"Sain!"

"What?" he asked innocently, causing Kent to scowl.

"Cut that nonsense out already! Lady Lyndis is my liege and nothing else."

"But-"

"This discussion is over."

Sain pursed his lips but paused, eyebrows furrowing slightly in concentration. "Did you hear that?"

Kent paused as well, listening intently. They heard a yelp not much further ahead. "Yes! Let's hurry!" he said and tugged on the reigns of his horse, as did Sain, and the two Cavaliers dashed off.

When they reached the source of the sound they found Priscilla standing, hanging onto her horse, as a myrmidon in front of her was raising his sword. Kent quickly rode toward him and swung his sword but the myrmidon was too quick for him. He turned around, met his blade with Kent's, and they started to battle.

"I've got your back, Kent!" Sain said heroically and galloped forward on his horse, raising his lance. The myrmidon jumped and sliced his sword toward Kent's arm but didn't have a chance to contact it with his skin; Sain's lance went right through his chest. Sain attempted to get the lance out but it happened to get stuck. "Euh, it won't come out!" he said and made a face, jumping off his horse and continued his attempts to get the lance out.

"Lady Priscilla, are you hurt?" Kent asked as he rode toward her. She had been looking at Sain, who was still trying to get his lance out of the dead enemy's chest, and hadn't heard Kent. "Lady Priscilla, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said as she looked up at him. Blood was smeared across her cheek and splatters of blood covered her dress. "Yes?"

"Princess Priscilla, you're injured!" Sain cried out as he ran up to her. He had abandoned his lance. "My poor precious flower!"

She gave him a small smile. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not! I, as your servant of love, shall help you!"

"Servant of love?" she asked, seeming amused.

"I shall mend you back to full health, no matter how long it'll take me! I'll even give you my heart...wait, I believe you already have it," he said, smiling dashingly.

She blushed slightly. "Sain!"

"Lady Priscilla, you're obviously gravely injured. We don't have time to waste. Come, we'll get you to Serra," Kent said, giving Sain an annoyed look.

"Is something wrong?" Fiora asked as she landed on the ground by the three. She held up her torch and glanced at them curiously. Her eyes widened at the sight of Priscilla. "Oh my! What happened?" she asked worriedly. Kent was struck at the resemblance she held to Florina at the expression she held. Each had the same soft, caring look, though Fiora's face was more serious and businesslike.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Priscilla reassured, glancing down at herself.

"No matter, we don't want your wounds to get infected," Fiora said. "Come, get on my Pegasus-it'll be faster than riding by horse."

"Good idea," Kent said and nodded. "Can you walk?" he questioned Priscilla. She started to walk but lost her balance and stumbled. Sain gently caught her.

"It's nice to know that you're falling for me," he whispered flirtatiously in her ear. She blushed and playfully slapped his arm. "Feisty, are we?"

"Do we really have time for this, Sir Sain?" Fiora said, sounding and looking annoyed. "Please just bring her over here."

"I agree," Kent nodded.

"At least someone here is a proper knight," she said, looking at Kent approvingly.

"I apologize for my companion," he said, shooting Sain a glare as he walked Priscilla over to Fiora. "He has not yet grown out of his habits."

"Hmm. Well, I'll be off," she said as Sain placed a giggling Priscilla behind Fiora on her Pegasus. "C'mon, Makar," she said and pulled on her Pegasus's reigns. She flew up and disappeared into the night.

"Well," Sain said after a moment, "she's nothing like her sister."

"Watch out, Lord Eliwood!" Dorcas shouted and said redhead turned around to see a hand ax flying toward him. His eyes widened and he ducked right in time to have the ax skim over his head, cutting off a few pieces of his vibrant hair.

"Thank you, Dorcas," Eliwood shouted back. "You really just saved my neck-literally."

The ax man nodded in response and turned, ducking an arrow. Eliwood quickly whipped around, his blue cape flying. A large man emerged, holding on a bow and arrow.

"…Black Fang?" Eliwood murmured.

"I come with an invitation from my master, Lord Nergal," the man said in his deep voice. "Return the children to me, he says. Seems silly to deliver that message…After all, I can take them myself and go!" he said, raising his bow threateningly.

"Over my dead body!" Eliwood roared as he ran forth, slashing his sword toward the enemy. He quickly dodged it and punched the lord in his face. He yelped and fell back, wiping the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand. The man jumped back and released his arrow from his bow. Eliwood quickly dodged it but lost his balance, falling down to the ground. Before he could get back up the man shot at him again, this time hitting him in his arm.

Eliwood yelped and put his hand to his arm, the arrow sticking out. The man smirked and aimed his arrow for the lord's neck.

He wasn't able to shoot; Dorcas jumped forth and attempted to slice him in half. He jumped back and Dorcas quickly steadied himself. He started to swing his ax toward him but each attack missed. Unable to attack without being a short distance away, the foe stomped on Dorcas's foot and jumped back. He quickly raised his bow, arrow already in place, and shot. Dorcas dodged the attack and was about to strike when an arrow embedded itself into the enemy's skin.

He shrieked and pulled the arrow out of his arm, twirling around to see who had shot him. Rebecca stood a few yards away from him, lowering her bow, eyes wide. He quickly put his arrow in place and raised his bow. He let the arrow fly through the air and Rebecca yelped, covering her face with her hands. In a blur of red Rebecca was gone and the arrow clanged against the ground. The foe had no more time to think; Dorcas plunged his ax into his back, instantly killing him. Dorcas turned around and went over the Eliwood to see if he was alright.

"Thank you," Rebecca breathed, looking at her savior with wide eyes. He let go of her roughly and glared.

"You need to be more careful," he snapped. "Why didn't you at least try to run?"

"I…I suppose I was too scared," she admitted. "I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't come."

"You'd be dead, that's for sure," he said coldly. Her face fell a bit but it quickly lifted back up in her usual smile.

"I suppose I have a lot more to learn, Sir Raven."

"That's an understatement."

She frowned and was about to continue if it weren't for the shout of her name from behind. She turned to see Wil and Jasmine running toward her, Wil waving an arm at her. They stopped in front of them, Jasmine breathing hard, Wil's usually happy face clouded with worry.

"Are you alright, Rebecca?" he asked, looking at her up and down for any injuries. "I turned around and you weren't there!"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said reassuringly, "Sir Raven saved me."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow at this. "Really?" she said skeptically and Raven scowled at her. Rebecca nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes-he was my hero!"

Wil and Jasmine each raised an eyebrow at this, though he laughed heartily, and Jasmine folded her bandaged arms across her chest.

"Raven? A hero? Hah!"

"Technically he can promote to one, right?" Wil asked and she giggled, nodding.

"Yes, that's the only time he can be considered a 'hero'. This reminds me, you could probably use that Hero Crest sometime soon…"

"I wouldn't have needed to be a 'hero' if you,"he said and looked at Rebecca, "hadn't run off like you should've."

She frowned. "I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to apologize, Rebecca," Jasmine told her, keeping her narrowed eyes on Raven. "This guy's just a jerk."

Wil put a hand to his mouth, hiding his smile. Rebecca and Raven raised their eyebrows, though Rebecca was simply surprised while Raven looked angry.

"Funny how you're going around calling me a jerk when I've saved your life-and hers," he huffed, jabbing his thumb at Rebecca.

"If it was funny, I'd be laughing."

Rebecca giggled at that, earning a glare from Raven.

"Well I don't see you go around saving lives, tactician," he snapped. "Rather, following your directions, you're probably bringing us one step closer to our doom!"

She scowled. "If that's the case, why do you bother following my instructions?"

"I can fight," he put simply. "I can fight my way through any hell-bound instructions you've given me and kill all the enemies in my path."

"That's violent."

"We live in a violent world, do we not?"

"It's all a matter of perspective."

He sighed in irritation and paused. "Don't we still have a battle to finish?" he questioned. The others bristled, having forgotten about that; they had gotten too caught up their conversation to notice.

"It seems like it's over to me," Wil said, moving over to get a view of what was ahead. They looked over to see the rest of their army chatting to one another or checking one another's injuries. Eliwood and Hector ran passed the four, Hector shouting after the laughing redhead.

"At least Lord Eliwood seems happier," Rebecca smiled, watching the two turn and run around some more.

"Yeah…but he still has a long way to go," Jasmine said quietly and the two archers nodded sympathetically.

"Excuse me, Lord Eliwood?" Marcus said as he approached him. Eliwood stopped swatting Hector away and turned to face him. "Can I have a moment, please?"

"Of course, Marcus," he said and walked over to him, leaving Hector to roam around. "Is there something you need?"

"It's about Lord Elbert," he started and Eliwood's smile tightened. "I sent a messenger to tell Lady Eleanora of the news."

"…I see," he murmured.

"I thought she should know as soon as possible. The Marquess's last moments were…so very noble," he said, his voice cracking slightly at the end. He quickly cleared his throat and Eliwood looked at the ground, not responding.

"Lord Eliwood! Commander Marcus!" a feminine shout came from behind. They both turned to see a blue haired woman walking toward them. She was beautiful, with penetrating blue eyes and had a jeweled band around her forehead. She wore the outfit of a knight, but wore a split dress instead of a shirt underneath her armor. She was fairly tall as well, no more than a few inches shorter than Marcus.

"Is…is that you, Isadora?" Marcus gasped.

"I've finally found you," she smiled. "I'm glad you're well."

"Isadora, what are you doing here?" Eliwood asked, surprised. His tone suddenly took a lowly turn. "Don't tell me something's happened to Mother…"

"No, Lady Eleanora is well. Do not worry," she reassured. "When word of Lord Elbert's death reached her yesterday, she said not a word…she merely gave her full attention to the messenger. Then she commanded I deliver this sword to Lord Eliwood and remain at his side." She handed him a Rapier, which he took and examined.

"But…the castle's defenses will be shorthanded," he said after a moment.

"Please understand your mother's feelings. Lord Elbert is not coming home." Her expression changed; it went from purposeful to hurt. She quickly shook her head and straightened up. "All she wants now is for your safety. 'Obey your father's final wish.' This was the message she entrusted me with, and I have delivered it."

"…I see. Thank you, Isadora. It will be an honor to have you join our army."

"The honor is mine, milord," she said and bowed deeply.

Eliwood chuckled and said, "Please, Isadora, there is no need for that."

She straightened back up and gave him a small smile. "You haven't changed a bit, Lord Eliwood."

"I can't let a silly thing like war affect me, can I?" he responded with a half-hearted smile.

"Yet after everything you've gone through, here you are, with your head held up high. Though this may not be my place to say...I think your father would be very proud of you."

He was quiet for a long moment, smile slipping off, making his face seem hollow and lifeless. "Thank you," he murmured finally.

"It is the truth. Right, Commander Marcus?"

"I couldn't have put it better myself. Keep staying strong, Lord Eliwood." He gently put a hand on his shoulder. "There are those that have and always will be there for you. Myself included."

"As will I," Isadora spoke up. "I will always be by your side, milord."

"Thank you," he beamed, looking at his loyal Paladins. "And you shall forever have my trust."

* * *

><p>"Oh, hey Jasmine," Hector said, glancing up at her as he watched her descend from the stairs. He was sitting at a table, only one dim light illuminating the empty lobby, hunched over a map. He was armor less but still wore his clothes from earlier in the night, his shirt clinging to his chest from the sweat. "What? You can't sleep?"<p>

"I should be asking _you_ that," she smiled softly as she reached the end of the stairs and started to walk toward him. She wore a nightgown and a green cloak that she wrapped around herself. "After all, you've been the one that was fighting."

"The rest of the army fought too; it's not like I was the only one who fought."

"But you're the only who's awake."

"You're awake," he pointed out.

"But I didn't actually physically fight in the battle," she said as she took a seat across from him.

"That doesn't mean that you shouldn't get your sleep. You have to rest while you can."

"As should you."

"Bah, quit nagging me. You're sounding more like Lyn as the days pass."

"Thank you!" she grinned and he rolled his eyes.

"That wasn't supposed to be a compliment."

"I took it as one."

"Did you come down here to bother me?"

"No."

"Then what do you want?"

"It's just…well," she said tentatively, "I was wondering if Eliwood was okay."

"You don't need to worry, he's holding up. I think he's finally starting to lighten up. That reminds me, you're not having the greatest run of luck either. I'll wager you never thought things would turn into such a terrible mess, did you?" he grinned and she chuckled, shaking her head.

"I had no idea anything even _close _to this would happen. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into when I first met Lyn."

"If it gets to be too much, you can leave at any time," he said and her eyebrows jutted up at once. "You're a reliable and dependable tactician, but…You're not our servant, you know? If you think our task impossible, you should get out."

She let out an indignant huff, folding her arms across her chest. "I've managed to come all this way-I'm not giving up. I've given up way too many things in my life, and this is something I refuse to give up on."

"I must admit that's reassuring. I'm not very good at battle orders myself."

"Oh trust me, I've noticed."

He growled lowly. "You're starting to show more and more attitude each day, tactician."

She giggled. "I must admit that I'm more comfortable around you than I first was."

"Oh, I've taken note of that. You were so quiet and cautious when I first met you."

"And you were so loud and rude when I first met you...wait, you haven't changed at all!" she said. He scowled and she laughed. "I'm just joking."

"For some reason I feel as if you weren't joking."

"I was just kidding! I mean it! Sometimes, rather often actually, I wish I was a bit more like you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Me? You're joking, right?"

She shook her head. "I'm serious. You can always stand up for what you believe in and say whatever you want, no matter how many people say you're rude and obnoxious."

"Now you're just insulting me."

She giggled before continuing. "And I agree that you can be a bit of a jerk but…I appreciate your bluntness. Actually, I...envy it. I envy you."

"I never thought I'd hear somebody say that," he said in shock. "But, Jas-do you mind if I call you that?" She shook her head. "If you have something to say, just go out and say it. Don't care what others think. That's how I've survived."

"It's easier said than done."

"Not really," he said and shrugged. "If you're right, say so. They'll know to listen next time."

She stared at him for a long moment before saying, "I never knew you had a soft side."

He furrowed his eyebrows and scowled. "Hey! I can be nice too!"

"I didn't know that until know," she grinned and his scowl deepened.

"Why you little-!" he stood up and attempted to grab her but she laughed and ducked his arms. She quickly ran up the stairs but paused near the top. She glanced back at Hector over the handrail and he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You know, Hector, aside from your rude comments, you're not too bad."

He immediately scowled. "That seems like more of an insult than a compliment."

She only grinned in response.

* * *

><p><em>It feels nice to finally complete this chapter. I've wanted Jasmine and Hector to have a little heart-to-heart conversation for a while now, so I'm happy that i did that. I'm going to try coupling up some more people-I sort of did in this chapter. (Nudge nudge wink wink) I won't tell you who's going to be paired with who...you'll just have to find that out yourselves!<br>_

_Also, I've just wanted to thank everyone for their reviews so far. Reviews always make me more motivated. So, thanks!__ Until next time!  
><em>


	11. Chapter 11

The sweet summer air was refreshing. The smell and feel of the grass gave the depressed army a more cheerful feeling. There was a visible lightness to the aura the army sent off; people were chattering happily to one another, not gravely as they once did. The death of Lord Elbert was slowly leaving their minds.

"Lord Brother," Priscilla said to Raven as she trotted up next to him, "is it true that you intend to ki—"

"Shush!" he hissed, glancing around at the people that surrounded them. Nobody took notice of the two. "Do you want to get heard? How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?"

"You are my brother, and I will call you so," she said firmly. "You cannot change that."

He was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "You are still as stubborn as you were when you were young; once you had your mind set to something, you refused to change it."

"And I refuse," she murmured, leaning over her horse, "to allow you to rashly act upon Lord Hector for the destruction of House Cornwell."

Raven's already hardened face went up to a degree of shock and fury. He leaned in toward her. "We are not going to discuss this."

"We are very well going to discuss this. I need a good explanation on what is going on here!" she huffed indignantly.

"Lucius told you, didn't he?" Raven demanded and glanced around for said monk. "I told him not to mention anything of it!"

"It's a good thing that Lucius had told me about this, and a good thing that he continuously tries to stop you! You refuse, however, and I am here to convince you to let go of the grudge and move on."

"Hah! You, convince me? Priscilla, you are still a child; you know nothing of what truly happened in Cornwell, what really went on…" he trailed off, realizing that his voice was gradually getting louder from his whispers, and cleared his throat.

"I am _not_ a child anymore," she huffed. "I have traveled all the way from Etruria to come look for you, brother! Does that mean nothing to you?" Her voice had become a quiet whisper. Raven didn't respond and looked away. Frustrated, Priscilla let out a little huff and jumped down from her horse. She marched right up in front of Raven, who still refused to look at her. "Killing Lord Hector will solve nothing."

He faced her, eyes burning with rage. "You don't understand."

"Then help me," she pleaded. "Help me understand what you feel. Let me help you."

"You cannot help me," he said stiffly and looked away from her sorrowful eyes. "Nobody can."

She opened her mouth to continue but a masculine voice came from behind and said, "Darling Princess Priscilla, if you could kindly get your horse to move, maybe mine will feel motivated to move as well."

She turned, already knowing from the name he had called her that it was Sain. He was grinning sheepishly atop his horse, which had stopped and was munching the grass along with Priscilla's. Her gloomy face disappeared. She giggled as she ran back to her horse and coaxed it to move forward.

Raven found this as the opportune moment to search for Lucius. He glanced around for a head of blonde hair and found it bobbing up ahead. Without a single look at Priscilla (she was now being charmed by the flirtatious knight) he ran off toward the blonde.

"Lucius," he hissed. The monk turned to face him, his smile disappearing at Raven's expression. "I must speak to you."

"Too bad, because he's talking from me!" Serra huffed, looking over Lucius's shoulder at Raven. "You can talk to him some other time."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I need to talk to him _now_."

"You've had your time!" she said before Lucius could say anything. "Now it's my turn to talk with him!"

"You talk enough already. I feel bad for St. Elimine; she has to deal with you as a cleric."

She gaped at him, appalled. "Did you hear that, Lucius?" she shrieked indignantly. "He just insulted me! And St. Elimine!"

"I did not insult St. Elimine; I simply feel bad for her. For having annoying, whiny little you as a cleric."

Serra's eyebrows knotted and she opened her mouth to answer but Lucius quickly turned to face her. "Please, Sister Serra, if I could have a moment with Raven? I would greatly appreciate it."

"But—!"

"Please?"

She pursed her lips and sighed. "Fine, but it's only because you're looking at me like that with those beautiful eyes of yours."

"Thank you. We shall continue our conversation later."

"Hurry up!" Raven hissed, grabbing Lucius by the elbow and dragging him away.

"Is something the matter?" he questioned.

Raven stopped dragging him and glared. "Of course something is wrong!" he snapped. "You told Priscilla of my plans on Ostia!"

"I thought she ought to know."

"You thought wrong."

"Oh? She is your sister, Lord Raymond," he whispered, leaning in toward him so their marching comrades wouldn't hear. "She needs to know important things like this."

"She does not! She must keep out of my way, out of danger—that is what she needs to do!"

"What about you? Must you always be in the face of danger? There is no reason, milord, for you to commit a murder. I understand that you cannot simply forget the death of your parents, nor am I telling you to, but—"

"No, you don't!" Raven shouted. Many people turned to look at him. He looked outraged, fists clenched at his sides, teeth bared. "Do _not_ tell me that you understand. You could never understand."

"Not understand?" Lucius shook his head. "How could I not understand? I was very close to the Marquess and his wife. I worked for them for ten years—do you truly believe that I do not comprehend how it feels to lose a loved one?"

Raven was silent for a long moment. "My apologies," he mumbled. "I did not…I was not thinking…"

Lucius's expression softened. "It is not a problem, milord."

"Must I tell you again? Do not call me by any Lordly name."

He smiled. "You will always be Lord Raymond of House Cornwell to me. Even if you change your name, even though you've changed since your parents' death, you cannot change one thing: You are and always will be Lord Raymond."

Raven did not respond, and so Lucius left him to his thoughts. Both were unaware of the dirty blonde thief walking behind them with a content smirk on his face.

* * *

><p>"Why do you keep on glancing over there?"<p>

Florina quickly looked back down at her stew and quietly slurped at it.

"Florina, I'm talking to you."

"Yes?" she murmured.

"Why were you looking over there?" Fiora asked and craned her neck, curious of what her sister had been staring at. "Is something the matter?"

"No, no, nothing at all," she said hastily. She didn't stutter once.

"Are you sure? It doesn't sound like nothing…"

"You don't need to worry."

"If you say so."

They ate their lunch but Florina ended up looking up again. This time Fiora caught her and quickly looked over the same direction. There was Dart, laughing and munching away on an apple as he chatted to Bartre and Wil.

"Did that man do something to you?" Fiora asked immediately, looking back at Florina. "Did he offend you, or—"

"No, no, of course not!" Florina said with wide eyes, shaking her lavender hair.

"You need not lie to me. I'll just go over there and tell him to—" She made a move to get up but Florina quickly grabbed onto her arm and pulled her back down.

"He just saved my life yesterday—so I just thought that I should say thank you…"

"Oh." She relaxed. "I jumped to conclusions too quickly. How about I go and thank him for you, then?"

She shook her head again. "I do not need…I can do it on my own…" She mumbled a few incoherent words.

"Are you certain? I know that you're very uncomfortable around men…and he is quite big...not as big as that Lord Hector, though." She paused. "Florina, it must be very hard for you to stay in this army, surrounded by so many men…are you alright?"

"I have been alright," she smiled. "I've been getting…used to them. I know they mean no harm, and they treat me well."

"You don't hesitate to tell me when somebody mistreats you, okay?"

"I'm fine, Sis…"

"Okay?" she repeated and Florina nodded her head.

"Okay."

Erk, who had been running, tripped over Florina's outstretched legs. She let out a squeak in surprise and pulled her legs back. He stood back up with an annoyed look on his face.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," Florina said quietly.

"It was just an accident," Fiora said before Erk could even respond. "It's not her fault."

"I never said it was her fault," Erk mumbled, turning his annoyed eyes on the other Pegasus Knight.

"Oh. Pardon me, I just thought that with that expression of yours you would—"

"ERKY!"

Erk swore loudly, scrambling to his feet and tripping over his own cloak as he all too hastily jumped back. He tumbled over and lay on the ground for a moment, cloak thrown over his purple head. Florina giggled quietly and covered her mouth.

"Ide mebe."

"Excuse me?" Fiora raised an eyebrow.

"Ide mene!"

"I'm sorry. One more time?"

"Hide me!" he hissed, lifting his face off the grass. "Or...just get rid of Serra before she—ah!"

Seeming to be under the impression that his red cloak would blend in with the grass, he laid where he was.

"Have either of you seen Erky?" Serra demanded as she stopped in front of the two sisters, hands on her hips. "He promised me that he would help me with using magic!" There was a mumble from the grass. Serra glanced around. "Did you hear that?"

"Err..."

"Erky!" Serra gasped as she noticed the cloak. "This isn't time to play hide and seek! You have to teach me how to use my magic!"

Erk groaned, lifting only his head. "I told you, Serra, that you're going to practice _light_ magic. I practice Anima magic, not light!"

She rolled her eyes. "Same thing! I got this ring"—She outstretched her hand to show him the large red ring—"and that means I get to use magic. You promised me you'd teach me!" she whined and stomped her foot.

"I never said such a thing."

"Obviously you didn't _say_ it, but I knew you were thinking it the second you saw Lord Eliwood hand me the ring! Gosh, I thought he was going to propose to me at first!" She batted her eyelashes and fanned herself with her hand. Erk rolled his eyes as he stood up.

"Who would want to marry you?"

She flipped her hair. "Everybody."

"Count me out of the picture," he said, slowly backing up.

"Oh c'mon Erk, you're obviously mesmerized by my beauty like any other man. You're just embarrassed to admit it!"

"...Watch out!" he shouted and pointed to something behind Serra. She shrieked and automatically ducked. Fiora and Florina turned to see that there was nothing there. By the time Serra figured out that the mage had tricked her he was long gone.

* * *

><p>The sword sliced through the air gracefully and smoothly. Isadora took a step forth and stabbed the air. She ducked an invisible enemy and took a few steps to the right, slashing her sword forward. When she turned around with her sword raised, she let out a surprised yelp at the smirking man in front of her. Her sword slipped out of her hand in bewilderment and fell silently to the grass.<p>

"You have some nice moves," the man commented as he bent down and picked up her sword, "so elegant and graceful." He handed her the sword. She stared at it before warily taking it from him.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, pardon my manners; I suppose I was a bit loss of words in the presence of such a beauty." She eloquently raised an eyebrow and he grinned. It was a flashy sort of grin, quick and short, yet it had a tinge of charm. "I am Legault." He bowed dramatically, flinging his black cloak behind him as he dragged his right foot back. "And what is the name of the Dame Knight I have the honor of meeting?"

"My name is Isadora," she said and bowed in the Pheraen style: both arms at her sides as she bent over, legs firmly together.

"Of Pherae, are you?"

She straightened up and looked at him curiously. "How did you know that?"

"Your accent, your bow." He shrugged. "It's as simple as that."

"Am I correct to assume that you are of Bern?"

He shrugged again. "I might be. I might not."

She smiled slightly. "You are quite the mysterious one, aren't you?"

"On the contraire, Dame Knight," he smirked and she gave him a confused yet amused look.

"Well, I'm more than certain that you are an assassin."

"So you've got the looks and the smarts? I'd be damned if you were already taken."

Her smile faltered. He looked at her curiously and she quickly mustered up a polite look. "So, Master Legault." She paused at his chuckle. "Yes?"

"_Master_ Legault, the Dame says," he said and shook his head, long lavender hair swishing. "As polite as a knight could be."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You do not wish to be referred as Master Legault?"

"I'm not sure if I deserve that title." He continued to smile, but there was a strange twinkle in his eyes. It was gone before Isadora could comprehend his expression. "But call me as you please."

"I don't wish to make you uncomfortable."

He laughed again. "Uncomfortable? Me? Well, I suppose being called 'Master' is quite a traumatizing experience." There was a teasing and sarcastic take to his voice. "I'm not sure which is worse: getting called Master or Uncle."

"Why would I call you Uncle?"

He only chuckled and shook his head. "Never mind that. Beautiful bird isn't it?" He stared at a bird perched on a tree behind Isadora. She turned around and looked at the colorful animal.

"Yes, it's quite beautiful, but—"

Legault was gone when she turned back around.

* * *

><p>Bartre sat down beside Canas. The Shaman's face was buried in a book, eyes moving from side to side excitedly.<p>

"Hey." There was no response. "Hey." Again, no response. "Hey!"

The slam of Bartre's big hand against the ground seemed to do the trick; Canas let out a yelp, book flying out of his hands, and quickly fumbled around with it.

"Oh, hello," he said and turned to face Bartre, the book securely back in his hands.

"Gee, it's about time you noticed me."

He chuckled. "My apologies. Once I get caught up in a good book, I tend to lose track of the real world."

"Is it really that good?" Bartre asked curiously, leaning over to look at it. "What's it about?"

"Oh, just about magic. Erk has kindly let me read it for the night."

"Magic?" He crinkled his nose. "That sounds boring."

Canas gasped. "Boring? Do you have any idea how much information, how much wisdom, how much experience has been put into this book?" He shook the book in Bartre's face. "It is far beyond boring—even far beyond interesting! It's out of this world!"

"Really?" Bartre snatched the book out his hands and rifled through the pages. "There aren't even any pictures!"

"No, but there are quite a few interesting facts!"

"'It is always important to...burnish your Tome before any use of it's…eh?" He scratched his head. "Why would you burn your Tome?"

"Burnish means to polish, not to burn."

"Oh…then what does…argh! My head hurts!" he groaned and shoved the book back into Canas's hands. He rubbed his temple with his massive hands. "And you say this is _interesting_?"

"Yes, don't you think so?"

Bartre looked at Canas as if he'd grown three heads. "No! It's boring and confusing!"

"Confusing, maybe, but boring…? I have to disagree with you on that one."

"Well," Bartre huffed, folding his arms across his chest, "I disagree that you disagree with me."

"I disagree that you disagree that I disagree."

"I disagree that you disagree that I disagree that you…eh?"

Canas chuckled. "Shall we just agree to disagree?"

Bartre scratched his head. "Sure. You need to find a better book, though. One that's got action and is actually fun to read! A few pictures would help a lot, too."

"I prefer this," Canas said and raised the book. "But maybe I can get one that you'll like?"

His eyes lit up. "Would you?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I can find something. In the mean time…" He opened his book. "I've got to get reading again—I've just started to read about elder magic!"

* * *

><p>There was chatter around the fireplace as the army sat around it.<p>

"For the last time, if you don't stop humming I'm going to make sure you'll never be able to hum or speak again!" Raven snapped at the humming Legault. The ex Black Fang member paused in his humming and looked at the aggravated redhead over his shoulder, smirking.

"Mind telling your boyfriend to be a bit nicer to me, Scar-buddy?"

"Maybe if you stop calling me Scar-buddy."

He frowned. "But, we _are_ scar buddies!" he said and pointed to his two scars. Jasmine unconsciously touched the scar that ran across her face.

"That doesn't mean you have to go around calling us 'scar buddies'."

"Wait a second," Rebecca chirped in the conversation, "you aren't denying the part where he mentioned Raven as your boyfriend." She was smiling excitedly, green eyes twinkling. Raven rolled his eyes, Legault smirked, and Jasmine shook her head.

"I've already told him too many times that we aren't a couple; I've gotten quite tired of arguing with him."

"Because there's no point in arguing a true statement," Legault quipped. She groaned and focused on her meal.

"I will slice you to pieces if you continue this stupid and pointless statement," Raven snarled at him. "You don't want to get in trouble when you've only been in the army for such a short time."

"I've already got quite a few people watching me already; what harm could this do?"

"For one, I would murder you."

Legault chuckled and looked amused. "You can try, pretty boy, but you'll only end up hurting yourself."

Raven raised an eyebrow at the name. Jasmine snickered into her soup and he flashed a glare. Rebecca giggled.

"Is that a challenge?"

Legault shrugged. "Only if you want to, but I wouldn't recommend it; would you really want to embarrass yourself in front of your girlfriend?"

"Please stop with that nonsense, Legault," Jasmine sighed. "Go ahead and rip him up for all I care, but please stop with that relationship stuff."

"Ouch. That's gotta hurt. It's alright," Legault said and sympathetically patted Raven on his shoulder. He scowled. "There are plenty of fish in the sea."

"I need no sympathy." Raven smacked the gloved hand away. "Nor do I need to find myself a 'fish'."

"Oh? Not interested in women?" His eyes twinkled mischievously and Raven groaned as he realized what he meant.

"You're disgusting."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of! You're a handsome fellow; it shouldn't be hard to find a mate."

Jasmine burst out laughing as she realized what Legault was talking about. Rebecca still looked confused.

"Shut up!" Raven snapped at both Legault and Jasmine. "Though I am in no need of a relationship now or ever, I'm interested in women, you disgusting twerps."

"Hey guys!" Wil said cheerfully as he sat down beside Rebecca. "Watcha talking about?"

"Raven's sexuality," Jasmine giggled and the redhead glared at her. Wil raised an eyebrow but chuckled nonetheless.

"Huh? I thought we were talking about fish," Rebecca said, eyebrows crinkled in confusion. Jasmine and Wil laughed while Raven simply rolled his eyes. Legault seemed to have disappeared.

"I forgot you were only fifteen," Jasmine giggled, "so you wouldn't understand. It's alright, though," she added. "It's good you don't understand."

"Wait...if you were talking about Raven's sexuality, then..."

"So, you guys," Wil said quickly in an attempt to change the subject, "isn't the weather so nice? Summer time is here!"

"Yeah, it's so beautiful out! It's getting even warmer in the night!" Rebecca said, completely forgetting the past topic.

"I prefer the cold," Jasmine said. "And the summer over here is much warmer than it is in Ilia."

"I don't care," Raven put bluntly and she glared at him.

"I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Nor did I."

"You're the one that butted in the conversation."

"You were the one that added the pointless comment about the cold."

"Um…guys…"

"Yeah, that's called having a _decent conversation_. Ever had one of those?"

His face hardened. "You're just trying to start something with me! You're _always_ trying to get on my nerves, not that it's hard for you, of course—"

"_I_ start things? Hah! You're the one who's always parading around like you own the place—"

"Jas…"

"If I owned the place, you wouldn't be the tactician!"

"I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you, knowing that you control everything and everyone—"

"I would, because then I wouldn't have to deal with you, or anybody else in this army, for that matter!"

"Sir Raven…"

"Yeah? Then how about you just leave this army if you hate everybody so much? What's the point of being somewhere, surrounded by people you hate?"

"Now you're just nosing into my personal life—"

"_What_? I'm not nosing in anybody's life! I was just saying you don't need to force yourself to be somewhere you're clearly—"

"Jas, Senior Rave, stop!" Wil said loudly, getting physically in between the two. The air was tense and heavy.

"Whoa, what happened here?" Matthew said as he waltzed up to them. "I can feel the tenseness in the air...it's so thick I could just cut it out!"

"Yeah, and you're really helping," Jasmine said sarcastically.

"Since when do you speak sarcasm?"

"Since I've been spending too much time around sarcastic people." She sent meaningful looks to Matthew and Raven.

The thief snickered. "Now, let's all be nice! I think you can lower your guard, Wil," he added to the archer, who had his hands up in case Raven and Jasmine were to move. "It's not like they're going to go off and kill each other or anything. We're all part of the same army so there's no way we would betray each other's trust to kill one of our own." He darted his eyes to Raven, who raised an eyebrow.

"Should you really be talking?" Jasmine said.

"Who? Me? I'm nice to everybody here!" Matthew said. Rebecca giggled at Jasmine's expression.

"There you are, Matthew! I've been looking for you all day!"

Everyone turned to face a very agitated Guy.

"Guy, my good friend! What do I owe the pleasure to?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You know exactly what you did! Jumping me in the middle of the night is not a proper battle!"

"Isn't it? I told you that I would choose the time."

"You…you…!" He shook a finger at him. "That's unfair!"

"I'm a thief; what more did you expect?"

"I demand a rematch!"

"There's no point—we battled, I won. You follow through with your contract. End of story."

Guy growled lowly. "No, not end of story! I won't lose if you give me a proper chance to fight! Wait…you're scared that you're going to lose to me, aren't you?" he smiled and Matthew raised an eyebrow.

"No, not scared. Just smart."

"Admit it! You're scared!"

Raven stalked off as the two argued. Wil, convinced that the redhead would not come back to start another argument with the tactician, started to chat with Rebecca. Jasmine bade them goodnight and went off to her tent. When she walked into it, she was surprised to find Raven in it, looking furious. Priscilla stood in front of him saying, "I'll never let you do that, no matter what you say!"

"You don't dictate me, Priscilla; I will do as I please, and that is final!"

"But-!"

Jasmine silently left the tent, not wanting to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Ah, precious Jasmine, how you light up the night with your blinding beauty!"

She turned, smiling slightly, to face an approaching Sain. "You're still up?"

"Yes, to come and look for you, my sweet! I would not be able to sleep without seeing your beauteous face."

"What will Kent say when he finds out that you're not allowing the tactician her sleep?" She chuckled and shook her head in mock disappointment.

"I will tell him that I've a job to do!" he said and puffed out his chest. "I will protect you from all dangers, my darling!"

"Oh, yes, there's always the possibility of Priscilla strangling me in the middle of the night," she joked and giggled. "I do need a knight to prevent that from happening."

"Yes, precisely! I cannot allow you two beautiful creatures to kill one another! Now, come, and allow me to sit by your side to protect you!" He spread his arms and gestured to the tent.

"Sain!" Kent shouted before Jasmine could respond, "I've been looking all over for you!" He walked up to the pair, scowling at Sain. "We have night duty tonight, remember?"

Sain groaned dramatically, putting the back of his hand to his forehead. "Alas, my boon companion, I've already promised this precious gem that I would watch after her!"

Kent raised an eyebrow and looked at Jasmine. "Sorry if he was bothering you."

She giggled. "He wasn't bothering me at all! He's my friend, after all. Can't we talk a little more before you guys go on night duty? I mean, quite a few people are still awake."

Sain beamed and Kent frowned. "Yes, but we do have to set up and—"

"You are too kind, my delicate Ilian flower. Not only do you look like an angel, but you have the kind heart of one!"

"I must agree that you are a bit too nice, Jasmine," Kent said as he put a hand to his forehead, shaking his fiery hair. "It amazes me to end that you can deal with _him_..."

Sain pursed his lips. "What's that supposed to mean?" Jasmine giggled at his feigned hurt expression.

"No matter, we really must get a move on our shift." Kent glanced up at the twinkling stars and the black blanket of air atop them. "Sir Oswin and Sir Marcus would not be pleased to know that we will be late. Nor will I, for that matter."

"Unfortunately we must part, my beautiful Jasmine," Sain said sadly. "Blast our cursed fates! The other angels are jealous of your beauty, and so they punish us so!" He shook a fist to the sky and Jasmine giggled as Kent rolled his eyes. "I will see you as soon as my shift is over, yes? Then we can gaze at the stars and I can match each one as to what makes you so luscious. Unfortunately, I will run out of stars."

"Or we can just talk," she smiled and his face lit up. Kent, however, frowned in disapproval.

"I don't think that's a very good idea. We do have to leave early tomorrow morning and you already have enough trouble as it is to wake up, Jasmine."

"We leave early every morning, Kent! I don't get to share every night with this darling flower, however, so I don't think I can pass up this offer!"

"Sain! Kent!" Oswin shouted across the camp. "It's your shift!"

"Yes, sir!" Kent shouted back and hissed at Sain, "C'mon, you lout!"

"I'll be back soon!" Sain said as he took Jasmine's hands and making her shiver. "I won't take too long, I promise!"

She laughed. "You better get going. I don't think Kent can wait much longer."

"Yes, listen to the tactical mind," Kent said and Jasmine chuckled.

"I can't wait to stargaze with you once again, winter flower. It has been far too long since we've done that." Sain smiled.

"It has," she agreed. "This journey doesn't allow us much time to speak and catch up with one another; we had much more time to talk when we were going to Caelin."

"Yes, and as I believe I've said before, you can talk later," Kent said, patience gone. "I will drag you if I must, Sain. _We have to go._"

"Then you must drag me; I'm under this beautiful creature's trance!"

Many things happened as Kent made a move to grab onto Sain's armor: Raven walked out of the tent backwards so that his back was facing the three and he slipped on the tent peg; he lost his balance and collapsed onto the two knights; Jasmine stumbled back and tripped on a tent peg too; there was a shriek from within the tent as the front collapsed.

Those who had been walking off to their tents turned to the commotion curiously, and a few people even poked their heads out of the tent flaps.

The three young men tussled with one another before managing to get up. Kent looked flustered, Sain had a twig hanging off his drooping hair, and Raven looked furious.

"Are you guys alright?" Jasmine asked as she rushed over to them. She giggled at the twig in Sain's hair and gently picked it out for him. Sain laughed and took a few twigs off her hair in return. Raven narrowed his eyes at the motion.

Before he could comment on it Priscilla rushed out of the tent and said, "Is anybody harmed?"

"No, we're all fine," Kent said. "Now if you'll excuse us..."

He attempted to grab Sain but the green knight ducked his arm, "accidentally" elbowing his back so that he fell to the ground again. "Ah, do not look so sad, my darling Princess! Those sorrowful eyes of yours makes my heart clench!" He swooned, hand flying to his chest, knees buckling. "Please, do smile!"

She giggled, cheeks tinging pink. Raven scowled darkly, hand going to his hilt. "You best be going, knight."

"My thoughts exactly!" Kent said as he took a hold of the back of Sain's armor. He started to drag him away, ignoring his pleas.

"Sleep well, Princess!" Sain shouted, "and I'll come get you in no time, Jasmine!"

"Go to sleep. I do not wish for that idiot to come back," Raven said to Priscilla. She seemed to consider arguing but decided against it, walking back inside her tent.

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't order people around like that, especially not Priscilla. She's nice."

Raven ignored her. "You're going on a date with him?"

"Huh? With who?"

He sighed. "With that green knight, of course!"

"Oh. It's not a date," she said, annoyed. "It's called stargazing with a good friend."

"Hmm. Well, I will most definitely say 'I told you so' if you end up walking out of his tent tomorrow morning."

She gasped. "Sain and I are friends; nothing more!"

"Sure didn't look like it."

"So, what, you and Priscilla have something going on?" she retorted and he made a face.

"No. That's disgusting."

"My point exactly."

He raised his hands in surrender. "All right, all right. Whatever. He did forget something, though..."

She looked at him curiously as he leaned in toward her. Her eyes widened and she backed away a bit.

"What are you—?"

"Don't move!"

She automatically stopped as if someone had pressed a button. He reached out to her curls (she barely flinched) and withdrew his hand to reveal a twig.

"Oh," Jasmine said dumbly as she watched him flick it to the ground. Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Were you anticipating something else?"

She flushed. "No, of course not!"

"Your face says otherwise." A small smirk was tugging the corner of his lips.

"...Go to sleep!" she said as she backed away toward her tent. "A good night's rest should tidy your thoughts."

"Have fun stargazing," he said sarcastically and walked off.

"You have mud on your butt!"

"Hah, very funny!" he shouted over his shoulder. Jasmine giggled to herself and shook her head as she retreated into her tent.

Raven had to find out the hard way that the tactician had not been lying.

* * *

><p><em>Whew! That was fun to write! :D I feel like I haven't wrote enough Sain so far and I sure had fun writing him in this chapter!<br>_

_Let me just say that there will be no Sain/Jasmine. They really are just strictly friends, even though, ya know, Sain flirts with her. He can't help it. Poor guy's cursed. How I wish he was real...I would not mind getting hit on by him :P What can I say? C'mon, somebody's got to admit that you love the way flirts-it's too hilarious. It also might have to do with my fan girl ways...I can't help it, okay?  
><em>

_Okay, I'm babbling too much. Back to the chapter. I'm going to try to incorporate the Hero Crests, Elysian whips, etc. and how much they train to be able to use them. I did include the guide ring in this chapter because it was about time that Serra could become a Bishop. Other characters are leveled up enough to go to the next class. I'll try to add this in the next few chapters.  
><em>


	12. Chapter 12

People stared. Not that they could really help it—it wasn't every day a large group of people-in-arms walked among their midst. To top it off, they didn't look like the usual army; they were diverse and cluttered. Each person was different from the next.

Whispers started to run amongst the commoners.

"Is that Lord Hector?"

"No, it can't be, he'd run off, remember?"

"But that can only be him! Who else has blue hair and is as big as him?"

"Why would all those people be with him, though? Is he starting some kind of army?"

"An army? For what?"

"I don't know! Why don't you go and ask him yourself?"

"Wha—you go and ask him!"

The army passed by the folk, a few offering smiles at the confused and dumbfounded commoners.

"Is that Lord Hector? Where has he been for the past few weeks?"

"Out and about, fooling around like the young child he is." The man's tone was bitter. "Not bothering to care for us, obviously. Does he not know how busy Marquess is? He should help his own brother, not prancing about with his friends! This worries me; what happens when the time comes for Lord Hector to become Marquess?"

"Shush, you moron! We don't want him to hear!"

"Let him hear! I care not for a person that does not watch after his own people!"

Lyn watched Hector's face harden. Then, without much a thought to it, she twirled around to face the man that had been talking bad about Hector and marched right up to him.

"Wait, Lyndis!" Eliwood had cried out, but it was too late. There was no stopping Lyn when she had something set on her mind. The marching army stopped and watched, curious and confused. Hector stared at her with wide eyes. Eliwood took a step forth but Marcus extended his arm, stopping him. When the redhead looked at his loyal paladin questioningly, he merely shook his head.

"Excuse me," Lyn said and the man turned to her, an eyebrow automatically rising.

"Yes?" He looked her up and down. He seemed unaware that he was speaking to the Lady of Caelin.

"I do not appreciate the way you speak about Hector. He is your own Lord; shouldn't you feel more respect toward him?"

"Respect?" the man scoffed. "Respect for an unruly lord that does nothing for his own people? I give no respect to those that do not deserve it, Lord or not."

Lyn's jaw tightened. "Hector is doing more than you'll ever know, so don't talk as if you know what's going on and the amount of pressure we're all under." Her tone was firm and there was more than a tinge of anger.

The man flustered. "Who are you to talk to me in such a way?" he demanded, pointing at her angrily. "You are a woman; do not talk to a man in such a tone! Know your place!"

Jasmine and Kent both made a move toward Lyn but were stopped by a shake of the head from Sain. Other members of the army fidgeted restlessly and others seemed not to care.

"It matters not whether I am a woman or a man; you should still be respectful, regardless of gender," Lyn said.

"Maybe that is the case in your silly land of Sacae, but not here, in Ostia, in Lycia!"

"Oh? People are respectful of one another in Caelin."

"And how would you know? You're from Sacae."

"Yes, but I'm also of Caelin."

The man's eyebrows furrowed. "How is that—" He stopped and stared at Lyn with wide, renewed eyes. "You're Lady Lyndis of Caelin, aren't you?"

"Yes."

His mouth opened slightly. Then, quickly regaining his composure, he said, "My apologies if I came off rude, _milady,_ but I only speak of the truth. You are living proof of what I'm arguing! Lord Hector is prancing around with ladies leaving the Marquess to do all the work. Yes, it is the Marquess's job to care for us, but Lord Hector will eventually succeed Marquess Uther. What then? I do not want to be ruled by a man that does and knows nothing."

"You think that we know _nothing?_" She'd reached her breaking point. "You have _no idea _how hard we all work for the good of you people! We are working as we speak!"

"Hah! Yes, of course, your 'work' is to court Lord Hector? I bet this is all just a hoax to bond Ostia and Caelin!"

"Wha—first of all, Hector and I are _not_ courting," she said firmly. "Secondly, Ostia and Caelin are already on firm ground; we have no need to _bond_."

"What would you know? You arrived to Caelin only a year ago—the rest of your life was spent in Sacae. You know nothing of went on in your city."

"I know more than you!" she snapped, growing increasingly aggravated. "You know nothing, based off the crude remarks on Hector."

"Hah! You think you're superior to me simply because you have Caelin blood? Just because you have the blood within you does not mean that you know of the politics, of the entire system that holds our lands together. No, no, you have the beastly Sacaen blood that dominates you, no matter what you say or do. You will always be a Sacaen."

"And what's wrong with that?" a deep and rough voice came from behind Lyn, who turned to see a very dark-faced Hector. The man stiffened. "Sacaens are much more graceful, more peaceful, more honest—characteristics that all other regions of Elibe could use. People too," he added and narrowed his eyes at the stout man. Lyn raised her eyebrows.

The man seemed to be deciding whether or not to run for it. Seeming to decide that he would somewhat stand his ground, he said, "I-I didn't say it was _bad_—"

"You clearly implied it!" Hector roared. "Now why don't you learn some manners and respect? Your mother obviously failed to teach you so."

"At least my mother didn't mix with inferiors," he muttered, eyes darting to Lyn. Her jaw tightened and her eyes sharpened. Hector fired up in an instant. His hands curled into fists and he took a dangerous step toward the infuriating man.

"Shame on you!" he bellowed and jabbed his finger against the man's chest. "I'm gonna—" He raised his fists and the man quickly raised his hands in defense.

"Stop, Hector. It's okay."

Hector paused and quickly twisted his neck toward Lyn. "You're going to let this fool get away with insulting your mother?"

"My heritage has been insulted before," she replied calmly, but her sharp eyes gave away her anger. Her chin was held high. "I will not let it get to my head. I am proud of who I am, no matter what anyone says. Now let's go."

Hector wouldn't have followed had her tone not been so clear, so prideful. He glared at the cowardly man and stalked off, only after a gentle but firm push from Lyn. Everyone was staring at them but they paid no mind to them as they walked back to their patiently waiting army.

"That was very brave of you," Eliwood said. "Both of you."

Normally Hector would've snorted, but he was too irritated to do so. "I'm not scared of a silly old coop." He cracked his knuckles. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to punch him."

"Calm down, Hector," Lyn said gently and patted his arm. "It's all over now. Let's just move onward. We just entered Ostia, so it'll take a while to get to the castle."

"From the woman that started the argument? I don't think you should be lecturing me," Hector said, a small smirk tugging at his lips. Lyn smiled slightly in return.

"He said something bad about you, and I wasn't about to let him get away with it!" she huffed and he raised an eyebrow.

"Since when do you care when a person insults me? You'd usually join in."

"Not when a person insults you like that! It was rude and untrue!"

"So are all the insults you say to me."

Lyn flustered and threw up her hands. "I was just trying to help!"

Hector laughed heartily. "I was just kidding." He ruffled her hair, making a few green strands pop out of the ponytail. She swatted his hand away and tried to give him a dirty look but couldn't stop the giggle.

Eliwood smiled to himself as he marched beside the pair. At least they finally seemed to be getting along.

Before the army could advance any further into Hector's home city, a group of knights rode to them. They all wore matching clad uniforms and had a distinct grace about them. The commoners scattered upon their arrival, slamming doors shut and ushering their children back into their homes.

The army behind the three lords instantly was on their feet; hands went to weapons, smiles turned into straight lines. Lyn's hand also went to the hilt of her sword, but Hector grinned and Eliwood had a knowing yet confused look on his face.

One of the men on the horses jumped down from his black steed and took off his helmet. He had a sharp face and wrinkles and lines were on his forehead. Oswin chuckled and shook his head, Serra giggled, and Matthew tweaked an eyebrow.

"Lord Hector." The man bowed.

"Bah!" Hector said, waving him off. "After all these years and times I told you to stop doing that…you still do it."

The man grinned as he straightened up. "I cannot help it, my liege. It's an old habitat that will never be broken."

"It's a bad habit," Hector replied gruffly. "And this is how you greet me after my absence all these months?" He stuck out his gloved hand.

"Of course, how could I have forgotten?" The man laughed and firmly grasped Hector's hand using both of his own. "It's great to see you again, Lord Hector." The blue-headed lord grinned. "Lord Eliwood," the man said and nodded to the Pheraen lord, who smiled and nodded in turn. They shook hands. "Lady Lyndis, if I'm correct?"

"Yes," she said, releasing her grip on her sword.

"It is an honor, milady," he said and bowed deeply, which Hector snorted at.

"And who might you be?"

"I am Duncan, Marshal of the Ostian knights."

"Sir Duncan!" Serra shrieked as she pushed herself out of the crowd, "do you remember me?"

Duncan chuckled. "Of course. How could I forget?"

"It's impossible to," Hector grumbled, "unfortunately."

Serra pursed her lips up at the tall lord. "See how mean he is to mean, Sir Duncan? Can't you do something?" she whined.

"Maybe if you stopped whining, the young master would be a bit kinder...nah, that won't happen."

"You're so mean, Matthew!"

"Marshal," Matthew said, ignoring Serra, and nodded respectfully to the man. His neck was held up tensely. "It's been a while."

"Indeed it has," Duncan replied. "...How are you fairing?"

"I'm fine," the dirty blond replied stiffly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He smiled sadly and clamped a shoulder on the thief's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss. Leila will be missed by us all."

Matthew didn't respond.

"Sir Duncan," Oswin spoke as he pushed himself to the front, "what are you doing here?" He walked up to the Marshal and firmly clamped onto Duncan's hand using both of his own, in the Ostian greeting.

"It's nice to see you too, Oswin," Duncan nodded to the knight. Hector chuckled. "But, yes, enough chit chatter. I see that you haven't received message from us."

"Message? No, I've received none," Oswin replied.

"I see that. Strange…ah well. I came to tell you that you cannot step any further into Ostia. It would create too much attraction, and we all surely know that we don't want that." His voice had grown quieter so that the lords and their retainers were to lean in closer.

"You could've told us sooner!" Hector said in an annoyed tone. "Now we have to walk back!"

"Hector," Lyn said sharply, "we just discussed that we didn't receive the message that would've told us this; don't blame anyone. If anything, it's your fault."

"My fault? How is it _my_ fault?"

"If you paid attention to—"

"Stop it, you two," Eliwood interrupted firmly. "This is no time for your arguments. We must leave before we attract any more attention. Where to, Duncan?"

"A fortress on the Thria-Ostia border. Come, follow us, we will take you there." He walked back to his horse, put on his helmet, and rode off, his fellow knights following after him. Hector sighed and gestured for his army to follow.

"Great," he grumbled, "even more walking."

Eliwood chuckled and wasn't able to say anything because Lyn snapped something at the Ostian lord and he fired something back at her.

Eliwood sighed. "Not again."

* * *

><p>Once situated at the fortress and the plans were discussed and how Lord Uther was to come, the army disengaged. They relaxed as the Ostian knights surveyed the perimeters of the fortress.<p>

Raven cleaned his sword as others chatted around him. His eyes were sharp and aware of every movement that went about him. Lord Uther was to come here, and here he would be murdered. Raven had spent his time dwelling over how to kill Hector, but now an even closer heir that had destroyed House Cornwell was going to be within Raven's grasp. He wasn't going to let this opportunity slip from his fingers. He didn't care what would happen to him anymore; he just needed to see the blood spill from Uther. To avenge his parents. That was all he wanted to do.

And Lucius knew of his plans just by the look in his eyes. "Don't do it," the blond pleaded, "it's not what you truly want to do."

"It is," Raven responded, "I will not let my parents' death be forgotten."

"There is always another way!"

"No. I will do this. Nobody can stop me."

"That's where you are wrong, milord. I will stop you."

He snorted. "I know you all too well, Lucius. You won't stop me."

"Perhaps I can persuade you."

"You've been trying at it for years."

"And I will continue to try until you finally realize that this is not a way to avenge your parents."

The sword slipped from his hands and he turned dangerously to Lucius.

"They destroyed my home, Lucius, my home. Everything that mattered to me was destroyed, my parents killed, my sister taken away from me. All because of Ostia. You think that I'll stay here and pretend to let everything be okay? No, no, I will show Ostia the true power of House Cornwell."

"Revenge is not the way to show the true power of our home," a quiet voice came from behind Raven and he turned to see Priscilla. She looked sad and hopeless. "Do you know nothing, brother?"

"I know more than you! You are still a child!"

"A child that has let go of the past unlike her older sibling."

"A child that does not _understand_ the past."

"I very well understand it!" she huffed. "And I find this attempt very pointless. It won't make our parents come back from the dead, Raymond," she said quietly and he stiffened. "It won't restore House Cornwell to its formal glory. This is simply your way of grieving for your loss."

He didn't respond. Instead, he stood up, face expressionless, and stalked off. Priscilla moved to walk after him but Lucius said, "Let him think. I believe your words have had quite an effect on him—I've never seen him like that."

She bit her lip. "I'm not sure if it was for the good or the bad."

"We'll just have to wait and see."

Raven was stalking off aimlessly, simply trying to get away from the two, angry and confused thoughts swarming his mind, when he was knocked over by an Ostian knight. He cursed and stood back up, glaring at the Ostian who was now speaking to that idiotic Hector.

"You need to be more careful of where you're walking," a voice came from his left. Raven's hand went to his empty scabbard instinctively as he turned. Jasmine was standing there with a smirk on her content face. And it aggravated Raven even further.

"Shut up," he spat, "you good for nothing tactician."

The smirk swiped off her face and she was about to retort when Hector shouted, "To arms! The enemy has breached our walls!"

Jasmine's eyes widened and she ran passed Raven, toward the three lords. Raven stared after her for a moment before disappearing within the shouting crowd.

"What's going on?" Jasmine shouted over her noisy comrades as she stopped in front of the three lords and Duncan.

"Enemies have come from the eastern side of the fortress!" Duncan shouted back at her. He seemed especially aware of his surroundings. "Hurry and get your weapons!"

"Jasmine's the tactician!" Lyn said and Duncan's eyebrows rose. Jasmine saw the look he gave her and knew what went on in his mind—a _girl this_ young?—and she looked away.

"Well, I've already devised a plan, but I suppose I should discuss it with you, yes?"

"That'd be nice."

"The enemy is coming in from the east, but I'm sure they're closing in on from the west and the south as we speak." He pointed in the directions as he spoke. "So, firstly, we have to keep a few men around to guard the boy." He jerked his head toward the fallen Nils. "Then we'll separate into three groups: one goes east, the other west, and the last one goes south. Does that sound good to you?"

"We should have you as our tactician," Hector joked and elbowed Duncan in his armored ribs. The Marshal laughed and shook his graying hair.

Jasmine cleared her throat. "Excellent plan, Sir Duncan, but we must remember our objective: kill the Commander. Once he's down, the rest of his army will most likely retreat, as we've seen this is many cases."

"How do we know where he's stationed?" questioned Duncan.

"Florina and Fiora will fly up for a scan," Jasmine said and nodded in the direction of the sisters. "But be careful; they might have ballistae."

The Pegasus knights nodded and mounted their Pegasi before flying up into the air. Meanwhile, Jasmine divided everybody up into groups, leaving a few behind to guard Nils and Ninian. The sisters returned and told the army of the news; the Commander was stationed outside, southeast.

"All right," Eliwood shouted. "Let's get a move on!"

Hector grinned as he shouldered his ax. "It's been too long since we've fought alongside each other, Duncan."

The aging man smirked as he unsheathed his silver sword. "Let's put your skills to the test, Lord Hector."

He smirked in return. "Game on."

* * *

><p>"Are you trying to kill me, Serra?" Hector roared as he dodged a Shine from her. He glared back at her and she gave him an apologetic shrug.<p>

"I'm still practicing!" she shouted back.

He rolled his eyes and turned back around to have blood spurt over his face. He watched a knight with his eyes lolled to the back of his head fall down to reveal a smiling Lyn. He immediately scowled. "I could've handled that on my own."

She rolled her eyes. "You were about to get stabbed in the neck. You should learn to thank people."

"I'd never thank you," he grumbled as he attempted to wipe the blood off his face with his clothed arm. It only smeared more and Lyn giggled.

"You want some help?"

"Not from you."

Her face darkened. "Fine. Smell like a dead man all day long, I don't care."

"W…wait up, Lyn! I was just kidding!"

Matthew ran passed the pair and stopped short, turning back around to face them. He grinned as he raised a heavy-looking sack. "Lady Lyndis, young master, loo—ah!"

The bag had vanished from his hand. He twirled around to face the suspect and his eyebrows rose when he saw Legault holding the bag. He was grinning slyly.

"Something wrong, kid?"

Matthew scowled and bounded toward the assassin. "That's my gold!"

"It's mine now."

"I knew you weren't to be trusted," Matthew growled lowly. Legault raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to answer but was unable to say anything as he dodged a dagger.

"Calm down. I was just kidding," Legault said and Matthew paused, hand midair, dagger still clenched in it. "Geez, take a joke, will yah, kid?"

"Don't call me kid," the dirty blond grumbled. Legault laughed and took a step forth to hand back the sack of gold when an enemy rammed into him from behind. The heavy sack went flying into the air and Matthew's quick eyes watched it travel. And he already knew where it was going to land; smack against Eliwood's head. That would probably knock him out.

The thief dashed off toward the falling sack, pushed himself off the wall with one foot, and jumped with open arms. He snatched the bag mid-air and landed nimbly on the floor, on the balls of his feet. He grinned in triumph only to find Legault running toward him, a curved dagger in his hand, and had no time to react. He was only able to think of one thing, one person: Leila.

But the dagger didn't collide with his body. Instead, Legault jumped right over Matthew and delved his weapon into an ax man's chest. An ax man, that, by the way, had been about to chop Matthew's head off.

"You need to be a little more aware of your surroundings, young one," Legault smirked and waggled the bloody dagger in Matthew's face. Matthew blinked, too surprised to say anything. _Why did he just save my life?_ "I'm part of your army now," Legault said as if he read Matthew's mind. "Not Black Fang. My loyalty lies here."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "A thief isn't loyal to anybody."

Legault smirked widely. "Smart, but are you forgetting? I'm not a thief."

He disappeared before the spy had a chance to retort.

~-~-~-x-~-~-~

Raven left a blood-streaked floor from every slash of his sword. There was blood about him; his clothes were soaked in blood, his face was splattered with it, and even his red hair had traces of red droplets in them. Blood followed him everywhere, for every step he took it would leave a red footprint from his previous slaughter.

He was still fuming from what Lucius and Priscilla had said. Murder was one of his ways to release his stress, and what better time than a battle?

He heard the flapping of wings from overheard, and, thinking that it was one of the Pegasus knights, ignored it. Only did he realize that it was a Wyvern, a Wyvern that very well wasn't on his side, when one of the scaly wings slammed against his face.

He immediately jumped back and twirled the sword around his hand. He jumped up to meet his sword with the axereaver of the Wyvern rider. The rider twisted his axereaver so that Raven fell down to the floor. He rolled over when the Wyvern rider started to stab at him and continued to roll until the attacks stopped. He quickly stood up, sword still in hand, and ran toward the rider.

He ducked the attack from the strange-haired rider and jumped up, only to be hit in the chest from the butt of the axereaver. Raven fell to the ground again and scowled at the young man atop the Wyvern. The man jumped down from his Wyvern, which flicked its tongue, and ran toward the fallen mercenary, weapon raised high. Raven's eyes widened and he quickly twisted his body away, but it wasn't fast enough. Indeed he'd avoided the stab to a heart, but the point of the axereaver sliced through his clothes and skin on his upper arm.

His face screwed up in the shock of pain and blood dribbled down from his cut. It wasn't too bad a hit, but it had certainly been a while since he'd been injured. He quickly raised his sword with his uninjured arm to block the next attack. The enemy's eyebrows furrowed—it appeared as though he hadn't expected too much of a fight.

A hand ax flung past the Wyvern rider and crashed into the wall behind him. The green-and-white haired enemy jumped and quickly turned. There was Dart, scowling.

"Damn," he grumbled as he stared at his fallen weapon. "I really ain't that good with hand axes. I warned that blue-headed lord but he wouldn't listen, would he?"

Raven and the Wyvern rider stared at Dart. Then, coming to their senses, they quickly got to their fighting stances. Raven stood up, ignoring the numbed feeling in his arm, and gripped his sword with both hands, eyes locked on the rider's. The rider twirled his axereaver in his hand much like a baton and stared firmly at Raven. Dart, now weaponless, glanced at the two and lifted his fists.

The rider started the assault. He twirled his axereaver once more before aiming it at Raven, who ducked the attack, bending down and twirling his leg around, pulling it behind the rider's legs so that he fell flat on his back. Dart joined in on the battle—he ran toward him and sent a blow to the rider's stomach. The enemy lifted his head in pain and didn't allow another hit; he twisted over and kicked Dart in the side. The pirate tumbled to the floor and scrambled to get up. Raven, in the mean time, slashed his sword toward the Wyvern rider. He blocked the attack and whistled. Raven's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

His confusion was answered by a kick in the back from the Wyvern. He stumbled to the floor and the Wyvern's owner brought his axereaver down toward Raven. The redhead swiftly lifted his sword and let it collide with the rider's weapon. Each exerted force on their weapon, trying to get the other to budge. It only resulted in gritted teeth and furrowed eyebrows; neither would budge.

"You're good," the foe muttered. "And very"—He shoved his axereaver but Raven used the same amount of force to stop it—"stubborn."

Raven smirked. He opened his mouth to answer when Dart wrapped his muscular arms around the rider's neck and lifted him in the air. A choking sound emitted from the rider's lips and he struggled against the pirate as he lifted his feet off the floor. Raven got up and hastily adjusted the sword in his hand.

The foe gave a fight—with great effort, he managed to ram the butt of his axereaver against Dart's forehead. The pirate staggered back, holding the red circle on his temple from the attack. Raven moved forth to stab the rider from behind, only to have the butt of the axereaver ram into his stomach. He grunted and fell back only a step or two, but it gave the rider enough time to advance to Dart. He lifted his axereaver and brought it down toward Dart's chest—

A lance collided with the axereaver. Everybody looked up to see Florina on her Pegasus at a rather strange angle. She was paler and more nervous than usual, eyes wide. The hand that held her lance shook.

Raven found this opportune moment to strike. He advanced but stopped when he saw the rider lower his weapon. The only sound was Florina's heavy breathing.

The rider stared at her with a strange expression. It was both anxious and relieved at the same time.

"I don't wish to—"

His words were cut off when Dart's fist collided with his jaw. Florina squealed. Dart smirked and cracked his knuckles, starting to advance toward the young man.

"Please," the rider said and raised his hands in a symbol of peace, "let me speak!"

"There you are Dart!" a voice came from behind them. Everybody turned to see Rebecca racing up to them. "I told you that we have to stick together; Jas assigned us as partners, so we have to stay together at all times!" She stopped slowly and stared at the defenseless Wyvern rider. "Who's this?"

"I'm Heath," the man named Heath said. "And I mean no harm—"

Dart snorted loudly. "Ye already hurt Raven and me! 'Ow does that translate to no harm?"

"I mean no harm to—"

"Florina!" Fiora landed beside Florina, the air swooshing on everybody's faces as Makar landed. "You worried me so much! Why did you suddenly come down here without saying anything?" She held the tone of a scolding yet worried and caring mother.

"I saw Dart in trouble," Florina mumbled, not daring a glance at said pirate. "I thought I should've helped…"

"Aye, thanks Florina," Dart said and grinned at her. "I'd probably be dead if it weren't for ye. So don't be mean to her," he said and shook a finger at Fiora. "She saved me life, and I'm very grateful for it. So, thanks again."

Florina's cheeks turned a bright red. "Th-th-thank y-you f-for…" She stopped herself short when she noticed that Dart was no longer paying attention to her and was chatting to Rebecca instead. Florina hung her head. Fiora looked at her before at Dart, eyes sharpening.

"Excuse me," she snapped, "my sister's trying to tell you something!"

Dart looked up at the even redder Florina. "Aye?"

"I…I just…"

Heath sighed loudly. "Excuse me, but can we get back on topic please?"

Everybody stared at him.

"Thank you… I just wanted to say that I mean no harm to women and children."

Raven raised an eyebrow, Dart folded his arms, Rebecca's eyebrows furrowed, Florina looked confused, and Fiora looked surprised.

"I apologize for hurting the two of you, but when I saw these women…I just can't do it."

"Ye think ye can just—"

"Understood," Fiora interrupted with a nod. "I don't think I've ever met such a respectable enemy before. Not many men, either," she added and looked at Raven and Dart, both of whom glared at her in return.

"I wish to be your enemy no longer. I'm a soldier but…I'm trying to be human too," hei9 explained.

"You want to join our group?" Raven asked.

"Yes."

"After cutting me and nearly killing Dart?"

"…Yes."

Dart scowled. "That don't seem right."

"Please…I only ask of your forgiveness. I don't wish to inflict any more harm on good people."

"The decision doesn't rest with us," Fiora spoke. "It lies with Lord Hector. We must find him and question him, but perhaps after the battle. For now, you can fight with us."

Heath nodded dutifully. "Thank you."

"Let us fly," Fiora said and tugged on Makar's reigns. She swooshed up in the air and Florina followed her a moment later, after a quick glance at Dart. Heath grabbed his fallen weapon, thanked Raven, Dart, and Rebecca once more, before jumping on Hyperion and following after the Pegasus knights.

"Wait…did he refer to me as a child?" Rebecca frowned, apparently only focused on the part of women and children. Raven rolled his eyes and Dart laughed heartily, patting Rebecca on the shoulder.

"You still are a youngster. You have a lot to learn."

She pursed her lips. "I'm 15! I'm no kid!"

Dart laughed some more and Raven, tired and annoyed from all the banter, went through the doors that led to the main entrance.

There were plenty of bodies about him and their blood drenched the once white floor. He glanced around and saw that the majority of his comrades (he had nothing else to call them) were fighting outside. There were only a select few left, all of which Jasmine appeared to be commanding. They departed after a brief talk.

Raven started to walk toward Jasmine, the sole of his boots turning red from the blood that he stepped in. He froze when he saw a lone archer aiming at Jasmine.

"Jasmine!" Raven shouted as he burst out in a frenzy run. "Look out!"

The tactician looked back at him with a confused expression.

The arrow flung when the archer released it from its constraints and it headed straight for Jasmine's head. Raven's heart beat fast and he raised his sword, already knowing he was too late—

There was a blur of brown and the tactician was gone. The arrow clinked against the wall and the archer had no time to run or hide; Raven's sword pierced him the same time an arrow lodged into his throat.

Raven pivoted to face Jasmine on a stranger's horse. The man had a stoic face, much like Raven's, except his lips were in a straight line and weren't scowling. Most of his dark green hair was hidden underneath a red bandana.

"Who are you?" Raven asked with narrowed eyes.

"I am Rath." Everything about this man screamed Sacaen; his traditional outfit, his accent, even his horse.

"Rath?" a female voice came from behind him on the horse. Raven saw Jasmine's face poke out from behind Rath, who twisted his neck toward the tactician. "It really is you! What are you doing here?"

"…After our departure, I started to work for Ostia as a mercenary. We came as reinforcements. I saw Lyndis and she persuaded me to join."

"That's awesome!" Jasmine smiled. "You always come at the right times, don't you?"

There was a shadow of a smile. "A chance of luck, I suppose."

"More like destiny. Like you're destined to come and save us."

A flicker of annoyance passed Raven's face. "And you're destined to be an idiot." The two looked down at him. "You should've been checking your surroundings at all times! If this man—Rath—hadn't come along, you'd be dead!"

"I bet that's what you wanted!" Jasmine snapped back at him. She lost her balance and yelped, clutching onto Rath's waist to stop her from falling. She quickly let go of him and placed her hands on her lap.

"I really want to get down now," she murmured, her eyes darting from side to side.

"Scared of a horse?" Raven snorted. "And you call yourself a war tactician."

"Shut up!" she snapped. "Not all tacticians ride horses!"

"How would you know? Have you seen one in action before?"

"Yes, actually, I have! And he didn't ride a horse! So get your facts straight before accusing people of things!"

"I haven't accused you of anything!"

"Yes you did!"

"Jas!" a shout came from the left and interrupted the argument. Rath tugged on his horse to twirl it around. There was Wil sitting behind Kent, the pair of them riding on Kent's horse, and Sain rode beside them.

"What's wrong?"

"Serra and Priscilla ran out of healing staffs!" Wil cried.

"_Both_ of them?" she said in disbelief. The three on horses nodded. "Let's hurry on back to Merlinus's tent. I'm positive he has staffs."

"We'll go," Kent said and Wil nodded in agreement. He tugged on the reigns of his horse and dashed off, nodding to Rath respectively on the way. Rath nodded in turn.

"Lady Lyndis told me that she'd gotten hold of you," Sain said to Rath and trotted beside him. "Well met, Rath."

Rath nodded. "An honor."

Sain smiled and leaned over his horse. He clasped Rath firmly on the shoulder, in a Caelin greeting.

"It'd be nice to have another familiar face around."

"Tell me about it," Jasmine smiled.

"I'm sure you all would love to catch up," Raven spoke for the first time since Wil and the two Caelin knights had interrupted him. "However, we have a battle to win, correct?"

"Ah, right, how could I forget?" Sain said. "Thanks for the reminder, Raven!" Raven simply scowled. "I suppose your beauty took all my attention, winter flower," Sain said to Jasmine. She rolled her eyes but smiled playfully. Rath chuckled quietly. "Something funny, Rath?"

The nomad shook his head, smiling slightly. "You haven't changed a bit, Sain, knight of Caelin."

"Sub Commander, now, actually," he said and puffed out his chest. Jasmine giggled. "Thank you either way, Rath—you haven't changed either."

"I'm not sure if he was complimenting you," Jasmine giggled and Sain looked aghast.

"Of course he was. Right, Rath?"

Rath didn't respond, though he still smiled.

"That was a yes," Sain said to Jasmine, who smiled and shook her head. "By the way, darling Jasmine, I see that you're on a horse. For the first time." He grinned. "How is it fairing you?"

_How did he know that Jasmine didn't ride horses?_ Something about it bothered Raven.

"Horrible," she grumbled. "I think I'm going to get off. If I can."

"Allow me, sweet butterfly," Sain said and jumped off his horse, outstretching his arms toward her. Raven scowled as he watched the tactician jump down with the help of the knight. Was that really necessary? It couldn't have possibly been so hard for her to jump down on her own.

Kent and Wil dashed back to the three. "We got the staffs. Let's hurry and hope that the injuries are healing."

Sain, Rath, and Jasmine nodded. The three horses galloped off, leaving behind a standing Raven and Jasmine.

"So you're really that scared to ride a horse?" Raven asked Jasmine with a raised eyebrow. She glared at him and looked away, starting to walk off toward the battle outside. "Ignoring me won't help you."

"We should be helping our comrades right now, Raven—not chatting about horses."

Raven smirked slightly. "You're a bit of a coward."

She stopped dead in her tracks and twirled around to face him, brown curls spiraling. "Just because I don't want to ride a horse doesn't make me a coward!"

"Considering that you've never rode one before, it does make you one."

"How? I just didn't want to ride a horse. Is it really that complicated?"

"You were scared to ever try, weren't you?" Her eyes darted. "How would you know if you wouldn't like it if you never tried? Only cowards think that way."

"I'm not really into the 'trying new things'. Becoming a tactician was already big enough; now it's necessary for me to ride a horse or fight? Hah, I think not! And if you're _so_ into the 'trying new things' idea, how about you try to be nice for once?"

"How about you try not to talk back for once?" he snapped.

"How about you stop being such a jerk so I wouldn't have to talk back?"

"What are you going to do about it, huh? Go cry to your darling green idiotic knight? I'm sure you'd like that!"

"Wha—Sain has nothing to do with his! I can stand up on my own, thank you very much!"

"Hah! Barely! You always have that Lady Lyndis on your side. She's the one with the real guts and strength!"

"Yes, Lyn is always on my side, but she's never here whenever I'm arguing with you! I'm always standing up to you _on my own_!"

"But without that Lady Lyndis you wouldn't be here, now would you? Yeah, I know all about your 'wonderful adventure' to Caelin. I've heard it around. Had you never met her, you wouldn't have ever been able to get to this point in your life!"

"I'm trying my best, Pops! I always try my best, but it's NEVER good enough for you!" she shouted suddenly. She looked about ready to cry, but no tears accumulated in her eyes. Her eyes widened suddenly as she realized what she said. She staggered back and covered her mouth with a hand, eyes still wide in horror.

Raven's eyebrows furrowed. What did she just call him…?

"Are you alright, Miss?"

Jasmine looked at somebody behind Raven. He turned around.

And there was Lord Uther.

Raven knew him right off the bat. The shoulder-length blue hair, his Hector-like size, his clothes—it was Lord Uther of Ostia, the oldest son of the dead Marquess Ostia, man who had ordered for House Cornwell's destruction. The man that Raven dreamed of murdering. The man that he could simply kill right this instant. Raven grasped onto his sword.

"I'm fine," Jasmine said from behind Raven. "You must be Lord Uther."

As the two spoke, Raven's heart raced and he felt sweat on the back of his neck. The tactician would be the only one to see him murder Uther. Then he could threaten the tactician to never tell. Even if she did tell, per say, by that time Raven would be long gone.

But Raven suddenly thought back to the facial expression that Jasmine had worn only seconds ago. And that made him think back to Priscilla, and her expression. She would undoubtedly cry. Then there was Lucius. Raven just knew what he would say and do. He would shake his head in disappointment and say something about St. Elimine. Not that Raven would care.

However, the thoughts of his sister and Lucius made him release his grip on his sword. He would resist. For now.

But tonight, no matter what, he would strike.

* * *

><p><em>How long has it been since I last updated? 2 months, I think? I do have an excuse though, so haha! I had my finals so I had to study a lot...so yeah. But now that I'm on summer vacation, I should (hopefully) work on this story more often! :D<em>

_So I tried to incorporate more cultural things in this chapter. I do feel like there's some sexism, especially considering the time period, and it has been sorta hinted at throughout the game. Little things, like how when Kent said that bandits shouldn't gang up on a woman. And I thought there ought to be a few disrespectful people—aren't there always?—that just hated Hector. I mean, he is Hector, after all! :P  
><em>


	13. Intermission: Beauty & the Beast

_It's been an official year since I've been working on this story! Yay! So, in honor of this special day, I wrote a crack chapter. What a way to celebrate, right? XD It's kinda confusing but oh well! The ending sorta works out anyways! _

_Thanks to all those who've been reading my story! :D All your reviews make me happy! ^_^ Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Happy anniversary~  
><em>

* * *

><p>A hooded figure dashed through the dark of the night. Crows cawed, yellow eyes flashed every which way, and a dark castle loomed ahead. Bare trees were scattered across the gloomy castle and from atop the castle, in the window, moved a large and murky shadow.<p>

The hooded person entered the silent castle and glanced around curiously. A candle upon a desk moved. The candle's holder was green, very different from an ordinary holder. It also had what looked like a bit of hair, though it was actually a melted brown wad of wax atop the candle. A red clock stood beside it.

"Hello?" the hooded figure, undoubtedly a female from the voice, called out.

"Hello!" a voice came from the far side of the wall, where the clock and candle stood. There was a 'shush!' immediately following the response. The visitor twirled around to face the wall curiously, confused.

"Is anybody there?"

"Yes, over here!" It was the candle that spoke. The woman looked at it. Her expression was unreadable, for her hood covered her face.

"You idiot!" the clock reprimanded. "You're going to have to leave at once," he said to her. "This castle is private. Only we and our master may stay here."

"Please," she begged, seeming to be quite neutral to the fact that she was talking to inanimate objects, "I have nowhere to go. Wolves were chasing me, and I had no other place to turn to! Please allow me to stay, at least just for the night! I beg you!"

"Of course, _mon amour, _for as long as your heart desires!" the candle crooned. The woman giggled but the clock frowned disapprovingly.

"Must you charm every woman you meet, you lout?"

"But I haven't seen a woman in years, Cogsworth!" the candle protested.

"It matters not! You know the master won't be happy to know that another would stay in his castle!"

"What's all the hubbub?" a teapot seemed to appear out of thin air. "I hope you're not arguing about how Lumiere smells, because I told you, he can't help that—oh my!" The teapot looked a little feminine, with long eyelashes, but it bore the voice of a man. "Who do we have here?"

"Yes, who dares enter my castle?" a growl came from behind the ruckus. Everybody stopped talking and froze, slowly facing the voice behind. There, stood a hideous beast. Fur covered his body from head to toe, horns jutted out from beside his furry ears, his mouth was wide open to reveal rows and rows of sharp teeth, and his fingernails were dirty and long.

The woman stumbled back a few steps, eyes wide in horror, though nobody could tell. "I—I'm sorry if I intruded—but I need a place to stay, and…and…"

"LEAVE!" it roared.

"Be a little more thoughtful, master," Lumiere said as he jumped toward the Beast. "I'm sure—"

"Shush!" the Beast snapped. "Nobody is allowed here! Leave before I force you so!"

The woman hung her head and slowly started to walk away.

"Wait!" Lumiere shouted and the Beast glared at him. The candle climbed up onto his shoulder. "She may be the one to break the curse," he whispered in his furry ear.

"…Wait!" the Beast cried reluctantly and the woman paused. She slowly faced him and lowered her hood. The Beast's eyes widened—he knew that face all too well. It was impossible though! How could the tactician…? It made no sense!

"Yes?" the brunette murmured, blue eyes shining hopefully.

"You can stay here," he grumbled, looking away. "Though it's against my will…"

"Now now," the teapot said firmly, "I'm sure Miss…what's your name?"

"Belle."

"No!" said the Beast suddenly and everybody stared at him. "I mean…you look like someone I know…knew."

"Oh?" Belle—Jasmine, in the Beast's eyes—said. "Strange. I don't recognize you." She paused hesitantly. "If you don't mind me asking: is this possibly House…?"

"Yes," the Beast snapped, "though it's none of your business."

"I didn't mean to...I'm sorry," she murmured.

"You have no need to be sorry!" a voice came from the floor. "You should be proud of where you come from, brother! Yes, this is House Cornwell." It was a small teacup that was speaking. "Our city was destroyed in a fire and my parents were killed, though I still have my brother." She smiled up at the Beast.

"Chip!" the teapot said and hopped toward her. "It's passed your bedtime!"

"Just because I'm a teacup now doesn't mean I'm a kid!"

"Yes, of course," smiled the teacup, "my apologies, milady."

The Beast rolled his eyes. Belle narrowed her eyes and leaned in forward.

"You…remind me of somebody," she murmured. "Somebody I once knew that I traveled with. I haven't seen him in years, though…"

"Do you miss him?" the Beast asked. She stared at him.

"Everyday," she said quietly. "I…cared for him. And I thought he felt the same way, but…it didn't work out."

He took a step toward her. "What if he did feel the same way, but was too caught up in his nonsense to realize his feelings?"

Her eyes widened. "What are you trying to say?"

"…Do you recognize me?"

She paused, face bunched in worry and confusion, to stare into the Beast's eyes. Then she gasped. "Raven?"

The Beast started to transform. His claws shrunk and became fingernails, his furry hands become normal, human hands, and his back started to twitch and twist. Within moments, he turned into a handsome redheaded man.

Belle gasped. Lumiere started to cheer when he too grew into a brown-haired young man with shining green armor. The red clock turned into a hard-faced redheaded knight. The teapot became a blonde man that was mistaken many times for a woman. Finally, the little teacup transformed into a young woman with red hair like her brother.

"We're humans again!" the green knight cheered and the stern faced redhead laughed jovially. The blonde and the redheaded woman rejoiced, embracing one another. Raven and Belle held each other's eyes, unaware of their surroundings.

"Raven…? How could it…? But…uh, I'm so confused!" she cried, putting her hands up to her head.

"You're a tactican, aren't you? Shouldn't you be able to understand these kinds of things?" Raven said.

Belle—Jasmine—immediately scowled. "Well now I see that you're clearly Raven."

He smirked and walked toward her so that they were only a breath apart. "You talk too much."

Her eyes widened as he leaned in toward her.

Then the castle started to shake. Screams echoed throughout the deserted place when bricks and walls started to crumble.

"What's going on?" Chip—Priscilla, it seemed—shouted.

"No worries, Princess, I've got you!" Lumiere, looking an awful lot like Sain, except his face was a little blurred and strange looking, shouted and took her hand.

"Oh no you don't!" Raven roared and advanced toward the green knight, a sword magically appearing in his hands.

"Raven!" Belle screamed and he turned to watch the ceiling collapse, ready to smash her to pieces—

Everything went white. Raven was all alone. Then flames appeared out of thin air and encircled him. He tried to slash uselessly through the hot fire. He could see his castle burst into flames, engulfing all those within it.

"No!" he screamed. "NO!"

Raven awoke with a gasp. Sweat dripped down his forehead, down to his chin, then his chest, where more sweat was accumulated on his shirt. He breathed short gasps and slowly sat up.

He must've fallen asleep sitting up when he probably slipped down onto his side. Which had to do with his crumbling castle. It was all just a dream. Nothing more, nothing less.

With shaky legs and shaky hands, he slowly pushed himself up. Quietly, he grabbed his sword off the table, and, with a quick glance to the sleeping Lucius, crept out of his room.

It was time for the murder of Lord Uther.


	14. Chapter 14

The corridors were dark and empty. Pieces of rubble were strewn about from the battle that took place hours ago. There were even some smudges of blood on walls and on the concrete floor.

Raven felt his breath hitch as he silently glided down the eerily silent halls. He became very aware of the sword he was holding and the act he was going to pursue with it. The murder of Lord Uther…the downfall of Ostia…the vengeance for his home. He didn't care what they'd do to him, if somebody were to find out what he had done. He would be pleased with the job that he'd finally accomplished after all these years.

He froze when he heard a noise. It took him a moment to realize what it was and where it was coming from. It was coming from behind a door to his right, and it was a soft sobbing. He was about to move on when he recognized the voices.

"…do anything?" It sounded like the archer, Rebecca. She sounded concerned.

"N-no…" That was Priscilla. She was the one that was crying. "Thank you, though…I…I just need s-some time."

"Do…do you want some privacy? I'll just leave if you—"

Raven immediately tensed, but was relieved when he heard his sister say, "No! P-please…keep me some company."

Raven cautiously leaned in closer to the door.

"Of course. Anything to help you, Priscilla."

There was some rustling and a blow of a nose. "I-I'm scared."

"Aw, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

"No…it's just…I cannot speak much of it with you. I hope you are not offended."

"I'm not offended at all! Just know that I'm here for you, okay? You're not alone. I'm here for you. And, well, Jasmine and Ninian are here too, even though they're sleeping..." She chuckled a little.

There was a sniff and a weak chuckle. "Thank you. That makes me feel a little…better." Priscilla paused. "Can I ask you something, Rebecca?"

"Of course!"

"Have you ever been in a position where you…where you try to stop somebody, somebody that means dearly to you, from doing something bad? But no matter what you say or do they try to go on with their plan?"

"...Yeah, sorta," Rebecca answered thoughtfully. "You know Wil? Well, he used to be my neighbor; we were childhood friends. One day he and my brother, Dan, decide to head out on their own. I told them it was foolish and dangerous, that they might not come back. They shrugged it off like it was no big deal. It was an adventure for them. I didn't see them for years."

"You tried to stop them?"

"Of course. I tried to convince them that it was irrational, but they persisted that our families needed more money, and they'd get that money for us on their journey. I still tried to stop them, it was useless. It's hard to stop somebody when they're mind's already set."

"That's so true."

"But the ones always come back to you in the end."

"Yes, I suppose so..." she murmured, sounding a little distant. "It's just that…I wish he would realize that his plan wouldn't benefit him at all. Or anybody for that matter. Rather, it'll harm others."

"Don't worry. He'll come back to his senses. The ones that you love always find their way back to you. I ended up finding Wil...not that I love him or anything!" Rebecca spluttered. "I mean, we were friends since we were kids, so I care about him, but not...not like _that_...I mean, he means a lot to me and everything...!"

Priscilla giggled. "Oh, really? Because that's not how I see it..."

Raven quietly detached himself from the door, knowing that the conversation about him was over. He continued his way to Uther's room. A thousand thoughts swarmed his head.

_They destroyed my home, my family; I cannot let Ostia get away without suffering!_

Yet, in the back of his mind, he imagined his crying sister, broken over what her brother was about to do. _She doesn't understand. Our parents are asking us to avenge them; that we didn't let them die in vain. _

He quickened his stride, gaining a tighter grip on his sword. Uther's room wasn't much farther. Finally, he would avenge his home and family…

"Up for a midnight stroll?"

Raven stopped in his tracks, his breath caught in his throat. He didn't move but said, "Yes. And you, thief?"

He could hear the quiet pitter patter of the brunette's movements. "I was just browsing around for some treasure."

"Stealing some more, are you?" He flexed his fingers on his sword.

"Don't think of it as stealing. Think of it…as an advance on our reward. Though you don't get any of it, of course."

"And why not?"

"Backstabbing liars don't deserve anything."

Raven turned and slashed his sword through the air, and it crashed into Matthew's two daggers. The thief smirked at Raven's angry expression and twirled his daggers around, jumping backward. Raven growled.

"What do you want, thief?"

"I just wanted to know what you're doing around the fortress at such a time, carrying around a weapon."

"Maybe I just like to do that."

Matthew raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Really? Is that the best you can think of? I would think that someone of such…high nobility would be able to think of something better. Don't you agree?"

Raven narrowed his eyes. "If you have something to say, spit it out."

"You know exactly what I'm saying," Matthew mused. "Lord Raymond."

Raven's eyes widened and he angrily swung toward Matthew. He dodged the attack and smirked widely.

"How…how do you…?"

"Don't look so shocked," Matthew said. "You were the one that was babbling about your House Cornwell. You ought to be more careful in such an environment, especially considering that you're surrounded by Ostians."

Raven let out a low, animal-like growl. "What do you want?"

"I want you to give up your attempt to kill Lord Uther."

Raven let out a short, derisive laugh. "You've got to be joking."

"Nope, not at all. It's sort of a big deal when somebody threatens to kill our Marquess."

"That's what happens when he destroys a House and kills those within it." He dashed forth, slashing his sword diagonally, but Matthew sashayed passed the attacks.

"House Cornwell was corrupt; it was necessary to remove it."

"Remove it?" Raven roared, his voice echoing throughout the empty corridor. Matthew winced.

"Can't you be a little quieter? Trust me, you do _not_ want to wake up the Marshal."

"Don't order me, thief," Raven growled. "I care not for the Marshal, or whatever else you Ostians have in store for me. It's Uther I want, and Uther I'll get."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Have fun getting passed all those guards that are filled up in Lord Uther's room. I gave them a little tip that we had an ill-tempered redhead within our mist."

"Is that supposed to be a threat? Either way, it doesn't scare me; I will destroy anybody who gets in my way. I have been waiting for this night for years, to avenge my parents, to avenge my home! Nobody can stop me."

"Aren't I stopping you right now?"

He glared at Matthew with such ferocity it was a wonder he didn't burn holes right through his skin. Matthew simply smiled back.

"A distraction is different from turning one away from his goal," Raven said as he started to march toward Uther's room, placed at the end of the hall. But of course he was halted again by Matthew, who jumped in front of him and dodged the swing from his sword.

"If you really wanted to kill Lord Uther so badly, and if I'm such an annoying distraction, why not cut your way through me? You did just say that you'd destroy anybody who gets in your way. I'm in your way."

Damn him. Swinging his sword again, this time more barbarically, Raven unsuccessfully attempted to slice off Matthew's cheeky face. Matthew jumped back from the attack and flung his leg in the air, kicking sword out of his hand. It clattered to the floor, feet away from the two.

That did it. With an angry snarl, Raven drew his fist back to swing a punch at the pesky thief. Unfortunately, Matthew was too fast for him; he dodged the swing, grabbed his fist, twirled behind him, and pulled his arm back. Raven winced and found that he was in a position where he couldn't move, or else he would risk injury to himself.

"Now," Matthew said calmly, "how about we have a friendly chat?"

Raven stomped on Matthew's foot in response. Matthew laughed.

"I take that as a 'no', but it was more of a rhetorical question anyway. As I was saying, we need to talk about your little…problem." He put it delicately, as if it would hurt Raven's feelings.

"Problem?" Raven repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, the one where you want to murder my Marquess. That's a problem. And I have the solution to it!"

"Do you?" he said sarcastically.

"Surprised? My solution is to tell you the truth about your House Cornwell."

"The truth? The truth is that Uther destroyed my home and—"

"Like I said earlier, House Cornwell was corrupt. It messed with the entire system that keeps the Lycian League together—"

"So what gave Ostia the right to destroy Cornwell?" Raven snarled, ripping out of Matthew's grip and twirling around to face him. "Why couldn't Uther have talked it out with my parents?"

"We did try to talk to the Marquess, plenty of times. He refused to accept the fact that he ruled a corrupt land—"

"Because that's not true," Raven said fiercely. "My home was not corrupt! If anything, it is Ostia, the filth you call your home, that's corrupt!"

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "They were caught stealing funds from the League! How is that not considered corrupt?"

Raven seemed a bit taken aback. He hissed, "That very well may be true, but we might've had a reason to steal; perhaps the League was not giving their fair share."

"Cornwell was getting its fair share, but the Marquess wished for more. We didn't have the extra money to give away, though."

"If you didn't have the extra money, how was that extra money stolen?"

Matthew let out a long breath. "That money was to be used for other purposes; not for Cornwell to spend. Cornwell was corrupt, no matter what you say or think."

Raven was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Cornwell might have been corrupt, but that still gave Ostia no right to demolish it!"

"It was what Lord Uther thought was right at the time; perhaps it was, perhaps it wasn't."

"It wasn't," Raven hissed. "You brought down my home shamelessly, and killed my parents!"

This seemed to surprise Matthew. "Kill your parents? We haven't done such thing!"

"Don't lie to me, thief! My parents are dead and it's because of Ostia they are!"

"Where did you hear that? We've done no such deed. Ostia is not as cruel as you put us to be."

"Then why else are my parents dead, huh? Do you have an answer to that?"

"Nobody's quite sure how they ended up dead, though it's assumed that they…" He paused, as if wondering how to put this. "It's assumed that they killed themselves, too ashamed to face the League."

Raven didn't say anything. He didn't feel anything. It was as if his whole purpose of life, the path he'd been going down, wasn't the right path after all. It was hard to believe, to take it all in. His parents committed suicide? So ashamed were they of their deeds?

"It is not because of Uther my parents are dead…?" he murmured.

"No. Though, yes, I will be honest: Cornwell is gone because of Ostia's doing."

Raven felt as though everything was crashing down on him. After all these years of trying to avenge his parents, he was doing it for no reason. So what if he killed Uther or Hector? It was like Lucius and Priscilla had said: _it won't bring them back_. It wouldn't bring his parents back from the dead and nor would it bring Cornwell back to its glory.

"So, do you still plan on killing my Marquess?" Matthew asked casually, as if he was asking for the weather.

"No," Raven said, surprising himself. There it was. No.

"All rightey then," Matthew said, seeming quite pleased. "You better get going to sleep."

Raven didn't respond as he grabbed his fallen sword and sheathed it. Each step toward his room was a grueling pain; his body felt heavy and each step sent a numbing sting of truth. It was all over. He had failed his parents and his home. Uther lived whilst his parents were dead. Nothing about that could be changed, no matter how hard he tried.

_Forgive and forget,_ Lucius would say, _it is only the past._

* * *

><p>"So…hot," Nils murmured as he dragged on through the never ending sand, "I'm going to die." The sun burned down on him relentlessly, and not a single cloud existed in the sky to hide it.<p>

"Hey," Hector said, noticing the young boy's distress, "do you want to get on my back?"

Nils squinted at Hector and tilted his head. "Huh?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Such kindness from you surprised me, Lord Hector," Nils said shyly. "Is this some fever dream?" he murmured and looked around him, confused.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hector grumbled as Lyn giggled. "I was just worried you might collapse like the other day."

"You're usually so brusque," smiled Lyn. "No wonder he's confused. Don't be shy, Nils. Let him help you out."

Nils hesitated. "But…"

"Do as you're told, boy!" Hector said and grabbed Nils by the waist, lifting him out of the cruel sand and onto his armored shoulders.

Nils squealed. "I'm going to fall! I'm going to fall!"

Hector and Lyn laughed.

"It looks like they're enjoying themselves," Eliwood said to Ninian with a smile as he eyed the three laughing. He turned his ocean blue eyes to Ninian and they immediately filed with concern. Ninian looked paler than usual and had a hand to her forehead. "Take my arm," Eliwood said and extended his arm to her.

Her eyes widened. "I couldn't."

"Oh, come now," he smiled.

"Very well," she murmured. "…Forgive me." She took his arm and they continued to walk.

"Is something wrong?" Eliwood asked, noticing her discomfort.

"It's strange…all of you treat me and my brother so…normally. Doesn't it bother you? Our powers…our looks. We're different from…people."

"What's wrong with being a bit different from other people? When I look at you, I don't see other people. I see Ninian. I see a kind, gentle-hearted girl."

"Lord Eliwood…!" she mumbled, tinting red. He smiled.

"I see that Lord Uther is still alive," Lucius said to Raven. He didn't sound surprised. He simply smiled at the sweating redhead. "I told you that you haven't changed as much as you think you have."

Raven didn't respond as he dragged his hand over his forehead, swiping the sweat off. "Uther did not kill my parents," he murmured. He sounded distant. "All my life's work…vanished."

Lucius furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "What do you mean by that? Revenge wouldn't have done you any good at all, Lord Raymond."

"…No, it wouldn't have," Raven admitted. "As you and Priscilla often say, it wouldn't bring Cornwell or my parents back. It still sickens me that Ostia destroyed my home, and I still hate it and everybody from there for it, but killing either Hector or Uther will do nothing. I am…still adjusting to the truth, Lucius."

"Time will heal your wounds, my lord," Lucius said gently. "The truth is hard to swallow at times, and especially when loved ones are involved. I am just happy that you are finally over with your quest of revenge."

"I have one problem, though."

"What is it?"

"What am I to do now? For years I've been consumed by hatred and thoughts of revenge. My goal had always been to murder those that had brought humiliation upon my home. But now, that goal is gone. I still wish to seek the truth, the very truth, of Cornwell's corruption, of my parents' death."

"Then we shall scour the lands together, and we shall find out the truth."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "We?"

Lucius frowned. "Yes, the two of us, unless Lady Priscilla wishes to join us, of course."

"No," Raven said immediately. "She has a life to live. She needs not delve herself into the past, much like I've done."

"Then it shall be the two of us, once this war is over!"

Raven's other eyebrow joined the first. "Why must we wait for the war to finish? I've no business in this army any longer. I've given up on killing that buffoon, so I have no need here."

Lucius smiled. "You have your sister, milord. I think this is valuable time for the two of you to spend."

Raven didn't respond immediately. "I suppose…fine. Then after this war, once I've ensured Priscilla's and your safety, I'll journey out on my own to find the truth."

"Wha—I plan on coming along too, milord!"

"No."

"Why not?" Lucius demanded, stomping his foot.

"Oh, don't be such a whiny child." Raven rolled his eyes. "I want someone to go home to, you see. So go back, and wait."

"Then why don't you marry? Then there would be someone at home…and I could journey with you!"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Me, marry? Hah! If anybody's getting married, it'd be you!"

"Me?" Lucius said incredulously. "What makes you jump to such a conclusion?"

"You're used the daily nagging. I'd have a fit if I have a wife jabbering at me all day."

"Daily nagging? I have no idea what you're referring to!"

Just then a cry of, "Lucius!" came from behind and Lucius came stumbling down to the ground in a pink blur. Raven couldn't help but smirk as the blonde and pink mess spluttered out of the sand, laughing.

"_That's_ what I'm referring to," Raven said, resisting a laugh as Lucius strung sand out of his hair like water.

"Oh my…you're quite energetic even in this cruel heat, aren't you, Sister Serra?" Lucius said as he gently rubbed sand off his cheeks.

She giggled. "I'm a bit better now that I've seen Jasmine."

Lucius looked at her curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

Serra giggled again. "I'm guessing you haven't seen her, then?"

"No. What's so funny?"

Raven had an urge to see the tactician; it had to be something humiliating if Serra found it amusing.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"Somewhere in the back," Serra said and waved vaguely behind her. "She's a bit grouchy, though."

"The heat is getting to us all," Lucius said. "I'm sure more than a few of us have become cranky."

"No kidding," Raven said as Erk strode passed him, muttering something underneath his breath and kicking sand everywhere.

"Hey!" Serra squealed, spluttering. "You got sand all over my face! Erky!" She chased after him and the two appeared to have one of their usual arguments.

"I don't know how you stand her," Raven grumbled to Lucius. Lucius seemed to be only half-listening, frowning at Serra and Erk.

"Sister Serra is a sweet girl," Lucius said. "It's unfortunate you don't see that. Say…you don't suppose Erk..." He hesitated. "Fancies her, do you?"

Raven was very taken aback. Was the heat getting to Lucius too? "Well…they're always arguing, aren't they? It must mean they hate each other."

"Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis argue often, yet it doesn't seem like they necessarily…hate each other. They seem to get along just fine." He gestured to the two ahead of them, Hector chasing after Lyn. The big lord seemed extremely tired and was chasing after the amazingly quick Sacaen princess with great effort.

Raven shrugged. "I don't really care, though. What's it to you if Erk and Serra court?"

Lucius's already pink cheeks turned a bright red. "I—I was just wondering—I mean—it doesn't—has nothing to do with…" He appeared to be at a loss of words. Raven had never seen the blonde act like this.

"Are you alright, Lucius? Perhaps the heat is getting to you."

"It must be," Lucius mumbled and wiped sweat off his forehead.

"To weapons!" Eliwood's voice rang loud through the muggy heat.

"Great," Raven grumbled as he quickened his pace. "Another battle. In this cursed heat. What could be better?"

"You guys stay in the back!" Jasmine's voice rang loud and clear. "Yes, Sain, you too! Horses are too slow in this sand. You too, Priscilla. I think Serra would be enough for this battle." Her voice gradually became closer to Raven; she was advancing from behind. "Fiora, Heath, and Florina! You three will be my scouts today! Heath, take a good look at the landscape for me. Wil—you okay with that bow? Had enough practice?—Okay, good. Rebecca, I want you with Florina. And..."

Raven saw a mass of brown curls pass him. Apparently the mass was connected to a body, and when it turned, it was Jasmine's face underneath it. It took Raven a few seconds to realize that the mass of brown on her head was her hair.

And Raven started to laugh.

It actually hurt to use his muscles to smile and open in a laugh. It had been so long since he had that feeling in his belly, the sound from his mouth. It must've been years since he'd last laughed.

Lucius gaped. "You're…you're laughing!" He was absolutely amazed and in shock. Then he smiled and chuckled along, unable to help it.

Jasmine glared at them. "If you're laughing at me, I'm going to shove that sword up your—"

Heath landed beside her, spraying sand everywhere. "I can tell you a rough outline of the land, Lady Tactician." He glanced over at the laughing Raven curiously.

"Just ignore him," Jasmine grumbled. A light pink spread across her cheeks as she took a peek at Raven. "Go on."

"Erm…so, the enemies are mainly located to the north and the west. There aren't many very close to our range, and the lone man is out in the northwest. He's quite the skilled sage, it seems."

"A sage?" she said thoughtfully. "Thanks, Heath. You and Fiora will head up north to deal with the bandits up there. Is it possible for you to take somebody with you?"

"If they're willing to sit on Hyperion."

Jasmine laughed. "Okay, got it. And will you _shut up_?" she added, glaring at Raven, who was holding onto his stomach, his mouth open in a silent laugh. He came to an end of his laughter, running out of oxygen. He snickered as he pointed to her head.

"Is that your hair?"

"Yeah, it is," she grumbled as she uselessly attempted to flatten it, "this happens in the heat." She straightened up. "We don't have time for this. Wil!" she shouted and said archer ran up to her as fast as he could. "Can you ride on Hyperion with Heath?"

"Yeah, sure," Wil grinned and nodded to Heath. "I've always wanted to ride a Wyvern," he said as he hopped on behind Heath.

"Get Fiora and the three of you head up north," Jasmine said to them as they rose in the sky. Wil laughed and whooped, raising his large bow designed for a Sniper. "I'm flying!" he laughed. "Hey, you look so small from here, Senior Rave!" He waved down at Raven. The redhead's amusement finally seemed to vanish, and his usual scowl was back in place.

Jasmine chuckled and shook her head as the three took off. She finished giving her orders and the army began its assault. Well, they started to walk toward their enemies, at least. It was hard and easily tiring to walk through the thick sand.

"You know," Jasmine said to Raven as they tread through the sand, "I've never seen you laugh until today."

"That's because there was nothing to laugh at. But that dead animal on your head…now that's something to laugh at."

"Shut up," she said as she playfully slapped him with her map. She fluffed the mass on her head. "I can't help it."

"And that's what makes it all the more hilarious," smirked Raven. She stuck her tongue out at him and, with a little huff, folded her arms across her chest. She turned her head and therefore her mass of hair flew into his face. "I can barely see with that…that _thing_ in my face!" he said as he swatted at it.

"Guy!" she shouted, completely ignoring Raven, "where are you going?" She put her map to her forehead to block the sun. "I told you to go—what? Matthew left you…? Ugh! Weren't you two listening when I said it was imperative to stay in partners in the desert? Uh! I don't wanna hear it!" She put a hand up. "You can just join in with Dart and Canas, then."

"Oh, I see what you're doing," Raven commented as she started to shout at the nearby Oswin. "You're ignoring me on purpose because I poked fun at you. Let me tell you that I—watch out!"

He pulled her aside and a fire emblazed the sand she had just been standing on. Eyes wide, she stumbled down as Raven swiftly moved through the sand, swinging his sword forth to kill the mage.

_Why do I have to be so unaware of my surroundings? _Jasmine thought bitterly. _It's always Raven that rescues me. No wonder he's always yelling at me._

There were shrieks from ahead. Furrowing her eyebrows, she turned her head. Her eyes widened.

A huge puff of sand and wind that swallowed the sky were heading straight for them. Sandstorm.

She scrambled to her feet and ran toward Raven, who was still battling the mage. She tugged on his arm hysterically and he faced her, confused, but his eyes widened when he saw the blur of dust and sand behind her.

"C'mon!" she screamed at him as she wrenched him away from the enemy. The two ran through the sand, hearing the gusts of wind howling behind them, the screams from their comrades somewhere out there.

And then a fire erupted behind them. Jasmine screamed as her boots caught on fire. Raven turned and instinctively pitched his sword at the mage. The enemy raised its book in defense but it was no use; Raven's sword went right through it and pierced him in the heart. Meanwhile Jasmine stomped her boots in the sand, running around in circles, looking as if she'd lost her mind.

"Are you alright?" Raven shouted at her. He spat sand out of his mouth and squinted.

"I'm fine, but we won't be if we don't get going!" she screamed back at him as she took his hand, dragging him along. He started to run along beside her, tightening his grip on her hand. The sandstorm was starting to swallow them; they had to find shelter. "There's a house further down!" Jasmine shouted at him. Her hair was flying everywhere. "We have to make it!"

Raven quickened his pace at the mention of his shelter. It took every ounce of his body to stop running, to get that gritty sand out of his boots. His body screamed in protest as he sped up, but it only urged him to go quicker. Jasmine was starting to trail behind.

"C'mon!" he shouted, tugging on her hand. His eyes lit as he caught sight of a small cottage ahead. They were so close now! "We're almost there!"

"There's a reason I'm a tactician and not a warrior!" Jasmine shouted back. Nonetheless she quickened her pace and managed to keep up with Raven. The wind howled in their ears, sand was flying about them non-stop, and Raven swore he felt his body get lifted up for a second.

"There it is!" Jasmine screamed. She outstretched her hand, wiggling her fingers, wanting to feel the safety of the house. Her hand latched onto a door knob and she twisted it. It opened and the two barged into the house, panting and sweating, throats starting to taste like iron.

Jasmine leaned against a wall and slid down it, breathing heavily. Raven slumped down on the floor beside her, shaking the sand out of his fiery hair.

Then, after a moment that was filled with heavy breathing, Jasmine laughed. "We made it," she said and faced Raven. She smiled.

He nodded. "Yeah, we did. I'm amazed; you were running so slow."

"Ah, shut up," she grumbled, but continued to smile. "...thanks for staying with me."

Raven didn't respond.

"Raven?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not so bad."

"I wish I could say the same about you."

She laughed and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. "Jerk."

"At least I don't have a lion's mane."

"Shut up."

"…you're not going to sleep, are you?"

"No," Jasmine murmured, her eyes still closed. "I'm just resting."

That didn't sound like a bad idea. Wiggling toward the wall, Raven rested his head against it and closed his eyes.

They sat there for a while, barely aware that they were still holding hands, that their shoulders were nearly touching. Were both of them to look back at themselves days from now, they'd blame the sandstorm, that their brains weren't functioning properly. But neither of them wouldn't have been able deny one thing:

It had felt right.

* * *

><p><em>So, a lot happened in this chapter. First of all, the biggest thing: Raven gave up on his plans of revenge. It's a big deal, I know, and I hope I wrote it out okay. I was worried about making Raven a little OOC in this chapter, and I hope that I kept him in character...Originally, I was going to even have him smile at Jasmine (once they're in the cottage during the sandstorm) but I decided not to; Raven's already done too much in this chapter, including laughing. So, I really hope I kept him in character, but tell me if he's not! I'll try to fix it!<br>_

_Happy reading!  
><em>


	15. Chapter 15

The plaza was packed. It was a big place, but with the many members of the army, it seemed to be much smaller. At least it was much cooler in here than it was outside, in the damned heat. Much, much cooler.

Legault was leaned against a wall, one foot propped against it. He twirled a dagger around in his hand absentmindedly. He glanced around at the chattering people around him.

"I see you," he stated to what appeared to be thin air. "And I see you trying to get away, too."

Matthew sighed as he turned around and glided toward the other thief. "All right, you caught me. Now what?"

Legault paused. "Nice cloak," he commented, eying the red cloak around Matthew's neck. He pulled at his shredded black one. "Mine's getting kind of old..."

Matthew sighed and made a move to take off his cloak when Legault started to laugh. "I'm just kidding! Geez, kids these days. Can't tell if a man's joking or not. You crack me up."

Matthew glared at Legault, removing his fingers from the collar of his cloak. "Jokes are supposed to be funny. I didn't laugh."

"That's only because you"—he tapped Matthew in the chest—"don't have a sense of humor."

"Oh yes he does," Guy said darkly as he passed them. "A very crude sense of humor."

Matthew pursed his lips and chased after Guy, shouting something about "not understanding" and "funny!"

Legault chuckled and shook his head. He paused when he saw the blonde giant (Hawkfoot, was it?) leading away the tactician. He tilted his head curiously and noticed the redheaded boyfriend and that feminine-looking monk. The redhead was scowling and muttering something as he watched the tactician leave. The monk laughed and said something that made the redhead twirl and shout something. Legault assumed he shouted 'what?'

Legault wished he had some corn to chomp on as he watched everybody's conversations. It really was quite fun to watch others' interactions. There were the two Ilian sisters talking—oh! There went the lavender-haired one, bumping into that nomad behind her—the elder of the sisters started to apologize, perhaps, but the nomad simply nodded.

The knight with the mop top (why didn't he just get a haircut?) and the stern Caelin knight were talking to one another vigorously. It was a bit unusual that the redheaded knight wasn't shouting at his brunette companion. Hmm…maybe he was off wooing some ladies? Probably. There were only two things Legault ever saw the green knight, aside from fighting, do: get yelled at and flirt. Not a bad life, Legault had to admit. Not bad at all.

"Dame Knight," Legault greeted the head of blue that had emerged beside him. She frowned slightly, tilting her head.

"How did you see me? You didn't even turn your head."

Legault smirked, and this time he faced her. "What can I say? I'm a master of these…arts, if you please."

"Exactly why I refer to you as Master Legault, yes?"

Legault laughed his bark-like laugh. "The lady has a sense of humor!"

Isadora smiled, pushing her curtain of blue hair out of her face. "If you consider that humor, I suppose I do."

"I do consider it funny," Legault smirked, "so you do have a sense of humor. Pretty face, daring moves, and now a sense of humor? What's next? Don't tell me you can juggle daggers too."

Isadora giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. "Master Legault!" she giggled. "Don't tease me so!" The way she giggled made her feel like a little girl. The only other person who could make her giggle like that was…Harken. Isadora's smile froze and faltered at the thought.

"I'm not teasing you," Legault said. She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so maybe a little."

She couldn't suppress another laugh. Being around Legault always made her laugh and smile.

"Can _you_ juggle daggers?"

Legault smirked mischievously. "What do you think?"

She tapped a finger against her chin. "Hmm…well, I'm guessing you can. Can you show me?"

He laughed. "Show you? Now? I'm not a performing clown, Dame Knight. Then again…for a pretty face like yours, I'd do anything." He gave her a flashy grin.

"Then perhaps you could show me some other time," Isadora smiled. "That is, if you don't mind, of course."

"Like I said, I would do anything to please a lady such as yourself."

"You flatter me much."

"I flatter you as much as a man ought to flatter a beauty like you. It would be discourteous of me, wouldn't it? Damn, I'm starting to sound like that green knight."

Isadora giggled. "Only a little."

"Ah, well, our strategies are quite different, though," he grinned. "My scars are quite charming, are they not?"

She giggled, putting both hands over her mouth. "Master Legault!" She paused in her laughter, looking at something up ahead. "The Lords are back!"

Legault turned to see that, indeed, the three lords had returned. Along with them came an ancient man, with a long, gray beard; the blonde man who, amazingly, towered over Lord Hector; a beautiful blonde woman; and, by the woman's side, the silver-haired man the army had rescued from the bandits. Oh, and the tactician. She'd just peeped out from behind the blonde giant, looking fairly uncomfortable. She scooted over to Lyn.

"Eliwood," the gray-bearded man spoke, his voice rumbling through the now silent plaza, "Your territory is closest to Bern, is it not?"

"Yes, it is," Eliwood said. "The border lies in the mountains."

"Good. Now, envision a nice, wide place in Pherae…Next, think of the name of a person you might meet there."

Eliwood looked confused, but nonetheless closed his blue eyes. "As you say…" he murmured, eyebrows furrowing slightly in concentration. There was a silent moment.

Then the floor beneath their feet shook. People yelped, clutching onto walls that shook, and each other. Shouts of fear and worry erupted throughout the plaza.

"What's going on?" Isadora shouted at Legault, concern etched across her face. Legault grabbed onto her outstretched hand and pulled her close, swishing his cloak over her. They themselves were starting to shake.

"What's happening?" Hector shouted at Athos as he wrapped an arm around Lyn protectively. She clenched at the fabric of his shirt.

Athos simply smiled, raising his arms. "Now, children of Roland, it is time to say farewell. You must reach the Shrine of Seals. There, your destinies' doors will open wide before you."

The shouts disappeared just as quickly as the entire army disappeared. Athos stood standing, staring at the empty plaza. His eyebrows were furrowed deep in thought as he strode back to his chambers.

It was up to them now. The fate of Elibe was in their hands.

* * *

><p>"Are we dead?" were the first words spoken in the silent air. There was a moment of silence before Bartre roared with laughter. He was soon joined in by others.<p>

"Nay, lass, we ain't dead!" Dart shouted. Everybody opened their eyes to take a look at their surroundings. They appeared to be in a large castle, the floors spotless, a chandelier dangling from the ceiling.

"But where are—" Heath started.

"Pherae!" Marcus cried, followed by Lowen and Isadora. The three looked ecstatic, glancing around their castle.

"Mother!" Eliwood cried, stepping out toward a purple-haired woman wearing a stunning white dress.

"Eliwood?" she whispered, reaching a hand out toward him. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Mother it's me!" he said, embracing her tightly. "I've come home!"

"Oh my…Eliwood! It's so nice to see you safe and sound!" She embraced him back, and when they separated, she gently placed a hand on his cheek. She gave him a smile, her eyebrows crinkling.

"How did we manage to get here?" Hector grumbled, glancing around. Lyn released her grip on him, taking a few steps forth to take a look at the castle.

"Magic?" she offered. He shrugged.

"Maybe. I knew that old coop was a little strange in the head."

"Hector!" Lyn reprimanded. "He's one of the Eight Legends; you ought to pay some respect."

Hector scowled. "He could've at least explained what the hell he was doing to us."

"You would've believed him?" Lyn raised an eyebrow.

He hesitated. "No."

"Exactly."

Eliwood made his way back to them. He looked exhausted yet happy. "Mother wishes for us to stay here tonight," he told them.

"Great," Hector said. "We could all use a good night's rest."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," Eleanora murmured from behind. She smiled brilliantly at Hector. "See, Eliwood? I told you they wouldn't mind."

"Of course not," Lyn smiled. "As long as it's fine with you, Lady Eleanora, we'd greatly appreciate staying for a night. We're all exhausted."

"Please, make yourself at home."

"Thank you. I'm Lyn." She extended her hand for a handshake. Eleanora smiled and grasped onto Lyn's hand, pulling her into a small hug, her cheek touching Lyn's. She smiled and released her, greeting Hector in a similar fashion.

"Thank you," she murmured. "For taking care of my Eliwood."

"Mother..." Eliwood mumbled sheepishly. Hector and Lyn smiled.

"You all look tired," she said, clapping her hands. "There are plenty of empty rooms. Please, do rest."

"Thank you, Mother," Eliwood murmured. She smiled and ruffled his red hair.

"Anything for my dear son," she said quietly. Eliwood gave her a small smile.

"C'mon," Hector murmured to Lyn, placing a hand on her shoulder. They walked off to their comrades, all of whom appeared to be half-dead. Serra's eyes were closed, her head bobbing up and down toward Lucius's shoulder. It was a surprise she wasn't on the floor already.

"Lady Eleanora is allowing us to sleep in her castle for a night. C'mon, let's all get some sleep."

A couple of Pheraen knights came in to help putting the Pegasi, Wyvern, and horses into the stables, as a few others helped the army to their rooms. Marcus was chatting jubilantly to a number of knights, apparently wide-awake now that he was back in Pherae. He was the only one who was so jovial, however.

Lucius had an arm around the half-sleeping Serra to stop her from falling, Dorcas carried the sleeping Nils as Ninian looked at her brother through half-lidded eyes, Lyn and Hector were too tired to strike an argument, Canas's book slipped out his fingers multiple times, Rebecca yawned, Sain didn't bother to woo anyone, Priscilla almost stumbled to the ground if it weren't for Raven, and Florina was sleeping on Dart's back with Fiora's permission.

So, yes, the army was very tired.

They threw themselves into open rooms, not caring who was with who, which gender was with which. They just needed to sleep.

So, somehow, Hector, Jasmine, Raven, Oswin, and Priscilla all ended up in a room together. It was, admittedly, a bit cramped, but nobody took much note to it: Raven jumped into bed, Priscilla curled up on the couch, Oswin fell down to the floor, leaving Hector and Jasmine. There was room for one more person on the bed, a chair, and, of course, the floor.

"Hey, Jas?" Hector said, eying the tactician. "You're not sleeping, are you?"

"I'm standing, aren't I?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. She yawned.

"Birds sleep standing."

"I'm not a bird. So, is that it? You just wanted to ask me if I was a bird or not?" She headed toward the lamp, ready to turn it off.

"No, that's not it. It's just that, making it this far, it's got me thinking…and I realized that I owe you an apology." She raised an eyebrow. "You remember. When we first met… I doubted your ability and said some things… I was wrong. You know all that we each are capable of doing, and you direct our hands based on that knowledge. It's because of you that we've won our battles so far. Jas, you're an imposing tactician."

She stared at him as if he'd lost her mind. She pinched herself a few times. "Wait…I'm not dreaming?"

Hector scowled immediately. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded. "Did I say something strange? Why does everyone think I've got nothing nice to say? Anyway, I'm counting on you again, Jasmine!"

Jasmine smiled sleepily, making her way toward the bed. "Of course," she murmured as she slipped beneath the covers, eyes closing. "Right after you hand me my paycheck…"

"Hey! I'm being serious!" He paused when she spoke no more. Letting out a wordless growl, he turned off the lamp, dropped into the large chair, and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Raven opened his eyes, which widened instantly when they saw that he was nose-to-nose with Jasmine. Nearly falling out of bed from surprise, he sat up and supported himself.<p>

He hadn't expected to awake to that. He simply sat there for a moment, allowing the moment to process, to realize that it was the morning and that he was in the Pheraen castle. He glanced around. Everybody around him was sleeping. Priscilla slept like an angel compared to that brute lord, who was snoring, his head against the headrest of the chair, his mouth open slightly. Oswin was lying quite straight. Both he and Hector were still wearing their armor.

So Raven was the only one awake. He looked out the window streaming in light. It was still fairly early. He returned his attention to Jasmine. The only times he ever interacted with her was when he argued with her, so it was strange to see her like this. He leaned in toward her curiously. She looked so peaceful, her forehead free of worry lines, her eyes closed, not in the usual glare in which she typically looked at him.

And she would stay like this for, probably, hours. Always the late and deep sleeper. Raven tilted his head. Slowly he extended a hand, paused, before continuing.

He gently brushed a curl of hair out of her face. She didn't stir, though she did shift slightly. Why couldn't she be so peaceful when she was awake? It would make his life much easier. There was an innocence to her now that she was asleep, the sweet innocence of a child, that he had never seen.

"Lord Brother?"

Raven turned to see Priscilla look at him sleepily. She half-sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"You can sleep more, Priscilla," he said softly. She shook her head, her eyes widening slightly in an effort to wake.

"No," she mumbled, "I don't want to."

He sighed as he shifted on the bed to fully face her. "You need your rest. We had a long day yesterday…a very long day." It really had been. Treading through a sandstorm, battling in some unknown fortress below the sand, meeting the 'Living Legend' after hours of fighting, and finally making it to Pherae hadn't been how he'd expected the day to be.

"You need more sleep than me," she countered. "I've done nothing but heal others. You, on the other hand, have actually fought hours and hours."

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"…Please, just rest your eyes for a few extra moments. I'm sure we have a long day ahead of us today as well."

"We're most likely just marching," he said. "I don't consider that very difficult."

Priscilla sighed and nodded. "All right, then," she murmured. "If you say you're fine, you must be fine." She sounded unconvinced.

"Quit worrying about me. I'm a grown man; I can take care of myself."

"Yes," she said quietly, her eyes sparkling. "You are a grown man." They stared at each other briefly, a brother-sister moment.

Raven looked toward the door. "I'm hungry. I think I'll go get some breakfast."

"Is anyone else awake? Maybe I'll come with you." Priscilla half-rose from the couch.

"Stay here, Priscilla," he said, outstretching a hand to signal her to stop. She pursed her lips.

"We're in a castle, Lord Brother. I doubt there are any dangers here."

"Perhaps that's the kind of thinking that brought us to where we are now."

There was a long silence between the two. Hector's snores and Jasmine's shifting was the only thing that made noise.

"I'm going," Raven said abruptly, standing up. Priscilla said nothing. She looked down at her bare feet as Raven exited the room quietly.

He sighed as he glanced around the empty hall. He had no idea where the kitchen was. He decided to take a right and walk down the hallway. He looked out the large windows. The sun was shining brightly in the white sky.

He paused and curiously made his way to the window. So this was Pherae. The villages laid out in front of the castle gates. Dots of people made their way to and fro their houses, guiding mules and horses, carrying sacks on their shoulders. They had a certain grace about them. Raven wasn't sure what it was. They way that old man took water from the well—what was graceful about that? Nothing, really. Perhaps it was the strength he held in his back, the willingness to work.

Pheraens were proud. Proud to serve their distraught city, to service a Marquess-less territory.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Raven turned to a relieved Guy. "I was lost," he explained at the redhead's raised eyebrow. "I was on my way back from the bathroom…when, well, I didn't know my way back."

"I'm headed for the kitchens," Raven said. "Is anybody else awake?"

"Not as far as I know. Hey, maybe we should go to the kitchens together! I'm pretty hungry too…" He rubbed his stomach. Raven's growled.

"Whatever gets me closer to that food," he said as he headed toward the stairs he noticed to his left.

"We're going down the stairs? Okay, guess we are," Guy said as he followed Raven.

"You don't have to follow me if you don't want to."

"I don't want to get lost again, so I think I'll stick with you."

"Suite yourself."

They made it to the bottom of the spiraling staircase. And there were three different halls they could go through. Great.

"I say we go straight," Guy said.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "If I recall correctly, you're always getting lost. I don't plan on using directions from somebody who's always getting lost." So he took a right, quickly followed by a pouting Guy.

"I guess you have a point," he grumbled, "but you didn't have to say it like that. …Say, Raven?"

"What?"

He hesitated. "You…you're close with Priscilla, aren't you?"

Raven slowed down his pace and looked directly at Guy. "What of it?"

"Well…I, I was wondering if you knew whether or not she fan—"

"What are you two doing out here?" A Pheraen knight was striding toward them.

"We're hungry," Raven stated.

"So that gives you a right to walk about the castle at such a time?"

"You have a problem with it?"

The knight's eyebrows furrowed. "Yes, I do. You ought to be more respectful when staying in another's castle."

"Sorry," Guy said, "but we couldn't wait for everybody to get up. We're starving. We haven't eaten since…since yesterday morning!" The realization made Guy feel even hungrier.

"I don't care whether or not you're starving. As a guest, you should've—"

"That's enough," a soft voice came from behind. The Pheraen knight straightened and twirled on his heels, saluting his Lady as she gracefully walked toward them. "Good morning, boys," Lady Eleanora smiled at the two. Guy bowed his head, and it was hard to tell whether it was of embarrassment or respect. Raven simply nodded to her.

"Lady Eleanora," the knight said and bowed deeply. Once he straightened up he said, "I found these two roaming about the castle. Shall I take them back to their rooms?"

"That's unnecessary. Surely these two would rather have breakfast first?" She looked at them questioningly.

"That's exactly what he wasn't allowing us to do," Raven said. The Pheraen knight twitched.

Eleanora frowned. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry."

"I should be the one apologizing," the knight said immediately. "I apologize for my rudeness, milady." He bowed again, hands straight at his side.

"It's alright. You didn't know better. Now, come along boys, I already have breakfast set up."

She gestured for them to follow her.

"I told you I was going the right way," Raven said to Guy as they walked. Guy pouted. Eleanora giggled.

"Oh, it's nice to have some company." Her smile had a hint of sadness in it.

Raven didn't respond. It was Guy who said, "And it's a great honor to be in your company, Lady Elanora."

She chuckled. "That's very sweet you. So, how has the army had your toll on you?" she asked conversationally.

"It's tough," Guy admitted, "but I'm always ready for a fight. I want to become the greatest swordsman of Elibe!" he exclaimed, then paused, slightly embarrassed at his outburst. Eleanora only smiled encouragingly.

"I'm sure you could it."

"Thank you," Guy beamed.

"And what about you, dear?" she asked Raven. His eyebrow twitched at the 'dear'.

"It's okay." Then it suddenly hit him. He was talking to Lady Eleanora of Pherae. The dead Marquess's wife. She was around when Cornwell had been destroyed. On impulse, he asked, "Do you know anything of House Cornwell?"

Damn. It'd just slipped out of his mouth. Perhaps he'd spent one too many days with that damned tactician.

Eleanora looked surprised. Nonetheless she answered with a, "Yes. What would you like to know?"

Guy looked confused. "What's House Cornwell?"

"A House of Lycia that was destroyed," she explained. "Though I must admit, it is a bit…odd of you to ask."

"I'm into the history of Lycia," Raven lied quickly. "So I always wondered what had happened between Cornwell and the rest of the Lycian League…I've never been able to get very good details. I want to know what actually happened."

"Oh, I see. Well, Lord Uther ordered Cornwell be destroyed because of its corruption. We'd caught—Lord Hausen caught, to be exact—Cornwell's Marquess stealing funds from the League. We all confronted Marquess Cornwell, but he continually denied the accusations. Eventually, Uther and most of the League decided upon ridding Cornwell." She paused. "It was a bit sad, though, I must admit. The Marquess had a few children. Such a shame…" She shook her head.

Raven didn't say anything. After a moment, he said, "Are they dead?"

"The children? We're not sure. I heard they fleed before the House was destroyed. I do hope they're still out there…"

_You're looking at one of them._ "I see…well, thank you for the information." Like he had told Lucius, Raven planned on uncovering the story behind Cornwell. All of it. Now that he wasn't blinded by hate and revenge (okay, so he still hated Hector) he could properly work the entire story out.

"Not a problem." She paused. "Has my Eliwood been faring well?"

"He's doing great," Guy reassured immediately. "He has amazing skills with swords. I'm happy that he's guiding our army."

She smiled genuinely. "I'm glad to hear that." She stopped as they entered the huge dining room. One long table covered most of the area. It was filled with piles and piles of food. "We're here!" She clapped her hands. "Luckily for you two, you get a head start. Dig in!"

Raven and Guy looked at each other briefly before diving into the food.


	16. Chapter 16

"Hector!" Lyn hissed vehemently, "put your hood back on!"

"But it makes my head itchy!"

"You won't have a head by the time I'm through with you if you don't put that hood back on!"

"So you're gonna chop my head off now? Dang, woman, I just—"

"Stop it, the both of you!" Eliwood cut in. "We don't need to attract any more attention than we already have!"

It wasn't the fact that they were Lycian Lords that attracted attention (they actually managed to get away with hiding their identities); it was the huge army that clustered behind them.

Hector scowled and lifted his hood up to cover his head. Lyn smiled triumphantly.

"Look," a drunken man said, leaning on his friend's shoulder as the army passed, "they've sent a parade out to celebrate Prince Zephiel's ceremony!" He hiccuped. "Why can't they s-send parades out for my p-parties?" he frowned to his friend, who had to tighten his grip on the drunk to prevent him from falling.

"Because everybody would get drunk," his friend responded with a shake of his head.

"Those two remind me of a certain pair of men," Lyn giggled, glancing back at Kent and Sain. Eliwood and Hector laughed.

"It's incredible that they've even heard of Prince Zephiel's coming-of-age ceremony in such a remote village," Eliwood commented.

"It's only ten days away," Lyn pointed out. "There's no helping the excitement."

"They've no idea what's happening." Hector shook his head. "Carefree fools."

"Very carefree," Lyn added with a giggle, meaning the drunk.

Eliwood sighed.

"Something wrong?" Hector questioned him.

"It's just…this waiting. I feel as if we're wasting time."

"What else can we do? Pent and Louise won't be back for a while. All we can do is lay low."

"If your version of 'lay low' is to crowd around the middle of the road with a small army, then I suppose you're doing a great job."

The three lords turned to see Legault smirking at them.

"Damn it!" Hector growled. "You pop out of thin air just like Matthew always does!"

Legault gave him an amused look.

"Is there something you need, Legault?" Lyn asked.

"Oh, yes, of course. I thought that, since we're just killing time, why don't we try and gather some information on the Black Fang?"

Lyn cocked her head. "Information? Like what?"

"The Black Fang's headquarters are here in Bern. The location was never disclosed to me, though. The Black Fang is so much different than it once was. Any information we could gain would be beneficial."

"That's a good idea. Thanks, Legault," Eliwood smiled and nodded at him.

"Think nothing of it. And, if you plan on laying low, might I suggest splitting up? I do think we're gaining just a little bit of attention."

"Yes," Eliwood said wearily, glancing over his shoulder at his comrades. "Good idea."

"You're just coming up with great ideas today, aren't you?" Hector said. Legault chuckled.

"Anything to please the lordlings." Dramatically, he cast his black cloak black and nodded to him much like a general would to his lord. Hector rolled his eyes as Lyn laughed.

"Where shall we start to gather the information?" she inquired.

"I doubt we'll get any in here," Hector said.

"I agree," Eliwood said before Lyn could retort as usual. "Let's spread out."

"Can we have some food?" Serra whined as she made her way toward the lords. "We've been standing forever!"

"It's barely been an hour," Hector said, pointing up at the sun. Serra scrunched her nose and pouted.

"So what? I'm still hungry!"

"How about everybody gets some food while we head out?" Lyn offered.

"Head out where?" Oswin asked immediately.

"We're going out to gather some information. We'll be fine!" Hector said as Oswin opened his mouth. "Yeesh. We're not kids."

Oswin gave his lord a look as the three made their way toward the village entrance. "That's not how I see it, milord."

"Bah. Stop treating me like a child!"

"You can't blame him," Lyn said. "You act so childishly."

"What?" Hector snapped. "Say that again!"

With a giggle, she dashed off, brown cloak flying behind her. Scowling, he chased after her, shouting all the while.

Eliwood sighed and put a hand to his face. "Those two…I can't tell if they're friends or not." Ninian, who had tagged along, giggled beside him. "What's funny?"

"The way you grumble, Lord Eliwood…you sound as if you're their chaperone!"

"Really? Is that what it sounds like to you?"

She nodded, giggling.

"Great," he grumbled. "Just what I wanted."

Ninian giggled some more, covering her mouth. Eliwood stared at her briefly, a smile fluttering across his lips.

"I like it when you laugh," he murmured.

She stopped laughing and tilted her head curiously. "Excuse me?"

"Err…nothing! C'mon, let's get going!"

Back at the village, an inn was packed with the army. The innkeepers were hastily running about, providing food and drinks.

"Ah, thank you, my sweet!" Sain cried as a hot bowl of soup was laid down on the table in front of him. "Is there anything I can do to thank you for your efforts, sweet maiden?"

The server paused and smiled slightly. She extended her hand expectantly. Sain grinned and nodded.

"Yes, of course!" He ruffled through his pant pocket. "Here you are my dear!" He handed her a few gold coins. "So, I was wondering, after all this, if you'd like to—"

The waitress was already stalking off. Sain frowned and turned back to his boon companion, who looked very amused.

"She's too busy serving others, I suppose."

Kent barely managed to hold his laughter in. "Yes, of course." Matthew, sitting across the table, snickered.

"I think that was rude of her," Rebecca said, somewhat sympathetic to Sain.

Sain turned to her, eyes brightening. "How sweet of you to think so, my wildflower!" He scooted closer to her, grabbing her hands. "Maybe that waitress and I weren't meant to be; rather, you and I are meant to be together!"

She seemed to regret commenting. "Err…that's not what I meant. At all."

Before Kent intervened and Matthew choked on his drink from laughing, Wil placed a hand on Sain's shoulder. The green knight looked up curiously and was surprised to see that, for once, Wil didn't look all too happy. He wasn't angry, no, but something about his expression was…off.

"Hey, Sain," he said, his voiced cheerful, though there was something murky about it, "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow Rebecca for a bit. You don't mind, do you?"

He sighed dramatically and nodded. "If you must. We shall see each other again, my darling wildflower!" He waved goodbye as she left with Wil, walking at a rather quick pace. Matthew smirked after the two archers and chuckled as he took a bite of his food.

"Guess it's just you and me," Sain sighed to Kent.

"Just forget the thief," Matthew said.

"Ah! My apologies! You do well at your job, don't you?"

Matthew said nothing, noticing the pair of slender arms that wrapped loosely around Sain's neck.

"Hey, handsome," a woman said to Sain, leaning over and brushing her lips against his ear. "Sorry about Tessa. I can get you your gold back, if you want."

"That's all right, my sweet!" he said, turning around to face her…err, bosom. He looked up at her face. She wasn't as beautiful as many of the women he'd encountered, but something about her smile and aura was enticing. "Who needs gold when they have the company of such a beautiful maiden?"

She laughed, flipping her hair back and batting her eyelashes. "We could use more men like you in this world, honey."

"Alas, it is not men we need, but women. Sweet ones like you!"

She giggled some more. "Aw, you're such a flirt." She playfully slapped his shoulder.

"How can I help it? I'm surrounded by such beautiful women. It's a true curse."

Kent rolled his eyes and shook his head, mumbling something underneath his breath. Matthew gave him an amused look. He had to admit that he was a bit taken aback that a woman was _actually_ flirting back with the green knight, though. The only one he'd ever seen flirt back was Serra.

Priscilla, coming out of nowhere, slipped in the seat beside Sain. She scooted close to him and smiled, even though his attention was on the waitress. "Hi, Sain."

"Hmm…oh, hello, Princess Priscilla!" he answered brightly. "Do you need something?"

"I just wanted your company. Or is now a bad time?"

Sain hastily glanced at the waitress, whose eyebrow was raised.

"Err…well, I—"

"Oh, good! I didn't want to be a bother!"

Sain could only stare at her blankly. Matthew and Kent gave Priscilla the same stare. What in St. Elimine's name was going on here?

The server looked annoyed. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was tapping a foot impatiently.

Kent cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Miss, may I have some more water?" He held up his empty glass cup. Letting out a little huff, the waitress swiped it from his hand and stomped off.

Sain blinked after her. Priscilla looked after her too, though with a very different expression, and crinkled her nose. "I wonder what bothered her so much," she said innocently. Sain gave her a confused look.

"Err…Princess?"

"Yes?"

He was silent for a moment. Then, with a charming grin, he said, "You look absolutely stunning today. As usual. Only a woman with true beauty can stay gorgeous everyday."

She blushed. "Oh, stop it. You make me blush."

"But it's only the truth! Why, even if I had all day I would never be able to—"

Kent's now full glass of water was slammed against the table. The waitress glared at Sain, who was bewildered at her expression.

"Is something the—"

"Get a life," she snapped at him, and followed her statement with many obscene comments and gestures. Then she flipped her hair and stomped off.

"Wait!" Matthew called out after her. "I wanted a refill of water too!"

Kent chuckled and Priscilla laughed. Sain was too caught up in his confused thoughts to laugh along. He turned to Priscilla with a frown.

"As much as I love having a beauty sit next to me, I can't help but wonder…what was that all about?"

"What was what all about?" she asked, trying to act clueless, though her pink cheeks gave her away.

A mischievous smile crossed his face. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Her pink cheeks flushed red. "W-what? No. What is there to tell you?"

"Surely there is a reason for you to come all the way over to me. And as soon as the waitress and I start to speak…If I was guessing correctly, you—"

"Here you all are!"

Lord Hector was standing in the doorway, filling the entire frame, huffing, out of breath. Oswin and Marcus immediately got to their feet.

"There's going to be a battle!" the lord exclaimed. Abruptly, he stumbled to the floor, and out came Lady Lyndis.

"To weapons!" she cried. "We're to battle!"

"I just told them that," Hector grumbled from the floor. She glanced down at him.

"What are you doing down there?"

"You pushed me!"

She hastily extended her hand out to him. "Sorry. I was in such a hurry I didn't even realize."

"It's fine," he sighed, accepting her hand. Then, with a sneaky grin, he pulled her down to him. She shrieked as she fell onto him.

"Everybody! To arms!" Eliwood cried, flying into the tavern. He jumped over Hector and Lyn, and paused; eyebrows furrowed, he looked back the two. "What are you doing?"

"She pushed me to the ground!"

"I didn't see you! You purposely pulled me down here, you big brute!"

"This is not the time to be playing!" Eliwood scolded. "Get up, and let's get prepared for the battle."

He shook his head and sighed as he turned back to his army. Those two. He really had no idea what to make of them.

At least the army was prepared, though. Despite the two arguing lords, they had managed to get their weapons and seemed ready for battle.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>"Why won't this damned fog clear up already?" Dart growled, swatting his hand about in a failed attempt to clear his vision.<p>

"Aw, are you scared of a little fog, pirate boy?" teased Legault as he jumped passed him. He glanced over his shoulder to give Dart a flashy grin. "I thought pirates liked a little danger."

Dart scowled deeply at him. "What are ye tryin' to say, Scar-face?"

He shrugged. "I'm not saying anything."

"Ye sayin' that I've softened up, eh? Think one too many pretty faces 'ave slowed down the brave pirate, Dart? Hah! I laugh in the face of death, and I laugh in the face o' ye!"

Legault simply offered him an amused look before sweeping through the fog. Dart frowned after him, readjusting his grip on his axe. He preferred sailing through fog than fighting through it. Not that he'd ever tell that damned assassin that.

He heard a loud 'swoosh' behind him. Tightening his grip on his axe, he turned and squinted. It had to be a wyvern rider or a Pegasus knight, judging from that swooshing sound it made.

He crouched over and tensed, trying to listen for any noise. It was quiet for a long moment and then he heard movement against grass. Turning, he swung his axe about and heard it collide with something iron.

"D-Dart?"

He looked up at his attacker. It was the shy girl, Florina. He quickly took his axe away and let it fall to his side.

"Whoa, I didn't know that was ye! Ye okay?"

She nodded. "Y-yes."

"Yer gettin' good at stayin' quiet, aren't ye?"

"I-I've b-been practicing…"

"Well it's sure payin' off," Dart grinned. She flushed a deep red. "So, ye need somethin'? Everythin' all right?"

She nodded hastily. "I-I just came down to…to check on…w-where is everybody?" She glanced around.

Dart chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Well…I don't know. 'Tis so foggy that I could barely see…Legault just passed by, though," he added reassuringly. "I think we're fine."

"Okay…" Nervously, she looked down at the ground.

"Ye just came at the perfect time. Nils said that there might be some stores 'round 'ere somewhere. I haven't found any. Ye wanna 'elp me look?"

She nodded. Together, they walked around in silence.

"I-I think I found one!" Florina squeaked moments later.

"Nice job, Florina!" Dart beamed at her, grinning. She flushed red again and looked away, embarrassed. Then, suddenly, she remembered that she still had to thank him for that one time, many battles ago, that he'd saved her.

"I-I s-s-still have to thank you for—"

But Dart was listening no longer. He opened the door to the vendor and made his way in, then paused. "Ye comin'?" he asked Florina. She nodded vigorously and, murmuring Huey to stay put, walked on after Dart.

The shop was dim and cramped. Dart took up most of the space. A woman flipping through pieces of parchment stood by a lamp, not even bothering to look up at her customers.

Dart walked up to the lady in front of the counter, Florina following closely. "You gonna sell somethin' or what, lady?"

She looked up, apparently about to retort, but stopped, eyebrows rising as she caught sight of Dart. She flitted her eyes up and down his body quickly, then smiled. "Anything for you, handsome." She didn't even look at Florina, who felt quite uncomfortable at this point.

He raised an eyebrow, but said, "I'd like two healing staffs and a vulnery."

She raised an eyebrow too. "You're going to use those?"

He snorted. "No, it's for the others."

"I had a feeling you wouldn't. You can't possibly get those muscles from healing, can you?" She gestured to his arms.

"Guess not."

"Hmm. I'll be right back," she breathed, leaning over the counter, giving Dart a little poke in the chest. Something about that little poke bothered Florina greatly. Couldn't that woman just respect private space and leave Dart alone? Obviously he didn't like the attention. Or did he? Florina was quite sure that look of disgust meant that he didn't appreciate it. What kind of women interested him anyway? She wondered if he liked loud girls, or perhaps quiet ones, or maybe—

Wait. Florina's cheeks burned. Why did this even matter? It didn't have anything to do with her, after all!

"So…did ye 'ave a nice sleep?" Dart's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I know ye were pretty damn tired when we arrived to Pherae."

"I-I slept fine," Florina answered quietly.

He chuckled. "Aye, ye slept like a baby ye did. At Pherae, anyways. Ye fell asleep when we got there so I 'ad to give ye a li'l piggyback ride."

She looked up at him, face beet red. "W-what?" she cried.

He laughed. "It was nothin'. Yer as light as a feather."

She was at a loss of words. Mortified, she looked down at the ground.

"Don't be embarrassed! A lot o' others were fallin' asleep too. What's so wrong with fallin' asleep?"

She shook her head. "T-that's not i-it..."

He frowned. "What do ye mean?"

She was silent. Then, when she opened her mouth to explain, the shopkeeper intervened.

"Here are your staffs, darling." She shot Florina a vicious look. She shrunk away to the wall, feeling threatened and uncomfortable.

"Thanks. How much?"

"I'll give you half price if and only if…" Smiling flirtatiously, she leaned in toward the pirate. "You give me a kiss. Only one. Unless you want more, of course."

Florina was horrified. What was wrong with this woman? Nobody with a right mind would ask a stranger for a kiss! Except for Sain, of course...even then, he wouldn't ask for a _kiss_! Fervently, she glanced at Dart, wondering what he would do. She couldn't help but feel a little...satisfied that he looked repulsed.

"I don't mind payin' full price."

The shopkeeper pursed her lips. "Why? I'm giving you such a bargain. It's only one kiss. Or…are you scared your friend over there is going to say something?" She gestured to Florina, who widened her eyes. How did the shopkeeper think Florina had to do with anything? "I don't think she'll mind."

Dart was irritated now. "Just give us our damned staffs."

"Aw, don't get angry! I'm only trying to be nice."

"Well stop being nice," he snapped. The smile fell off her face.

"Fine. I don't need your damned money." Angrily, she snatched all the staffs off the table.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Dart yelled in protest.

"My shop, my rules! I don't appreciate rude people, no matter how handsome they are. Now take your damn whore and get out of here."

There was a loud crack. Florina shrieked, covering her mouth. Dart had slammed his fist against a shelf, cracking the wood and splintering his hand. Blood dribbled down his knuckles.

"What did you just call her?" His voice was low, fierce, and dangerous. Florina felt her breath catch in her throat. Scary, yes, but somehow, somehow, it made her heart beat faster to think that he was standing up for her.

The shopkeeper looked frightened, but only momentarily. Straightening her back, she leaned over the counter. "You're going to have to pay for that."

"I'm not wasting my money on a bitch."

"What did you call me?" she shrieked, jumping off the counter, marching right up to Dart.

"Ye 'eard me, wench."

The shopkeeper was absolutely furious at this point. She jabbed a finger at his chest. "You don't come into my shop and disrespect _me_."

"Have a taste of yer own medicine," he snarled at her.

"Oh yeah? How about you have a taste of some medicine too?" And she spat right on his face. He blinked multiple times before slowly wiping the spit off his face. He glared at her.

"Great. I'm gonna get sick now."

She gasped. "Are you calling me dirty?"

"I didn't say nothing."

"How about you learn to use some proper grammar, pirate boy?" she snapped. "Or are you too stupid to understand?"

His jaw tightened. "How about ye learn some proper manners? Yer mother didn't teach 'er daughter well manners, did she?"

Her nostrils flared. "Get out of my shop. Take your girl too. You probably pay her a lot—"

"Say that one more time and I'll—"

The woman shrieked suddenly as a liquid collided with her, drenching her from head to toe. Outraged, she twirled around to face Florina. In the small Pegasus Knight's hands was an empty carton.

"You ruined my dress!" the shopkeeper shrieked, advancing toward her. "You little—" She raised a hand. Florina closed her eyes and looked away.

Dart grabbed onto the shopkeeper's wrist. He twirled her around to face him. She struggled and swore at him, but he ignored her, looking her hard in the eyes.

"Don't touch her."

His voice made the shopkeeper reel away, eyes wide in fright. "Get out," she whispered. "GET OUT!"

"C'mon, Florina," Dart mumbled, extending a hand out to her. Scared and confused, but still knowing she could trust Dart, she took his hand and the two rushed out the door. As soon as they made it out, a lightning bolt struck behind them.

"And stay out!" the shopkeeper shouted, slamming the door on them. She had been the one that cast that spell on them.

"Are you okay?" Dart asked Florina softly. She nodded, looking down at the ground, refusing to look at him. "Florina, please…look at me."

She shook her head. Her shoulders shook.

"Did I scare ye?"

She shook her head again. He scratched his head, uncomfortable. He wasn't very good with girls. A silence followed.

To fill in that silence, an enemy myrmidon jumped through the thick air and between the two. Florina shrieked and backed off, quickly heading toward the neighing Huey. Dart let out a surprised sound as he jumped back, hands gripping in the air, where his axe should've been. He frowned and looked around himself. Where was—oh. He'd left it in the shop with that witch. Damn.

The myrmidon swung his sword quickly, and Dart hastily took a step back. Though he avoided getting his neck sliced, he didn't move fast enough to avoid the entire attack; the sword cut across his cheek. Blood leaked out of the deep cut, splashing dark red onto his shirt and the grass. He swore and tumbled to the ground to avoid the next swing. The myrmidon towered over him, expressionless, sword raised for the final blow.

The expression changed. Eyes widened, mouth opened. He let out a short gasp, scratching away at the sword that protruded out of his chest. With a sickening squelch, the sword was ripped out from his chest, causing blood to spurt about everywhere. The enemy fell to the reddening ground. Florina stood behind the lifeless form, breathing heavily, her eyes watering.

"A-Are you alright?" Her voice quivered.

He nodded slowly. "Aye."

He was suddenly aware of the hot blood trickling down his cheek. He put a hand to it, making the blood smear.

"You're hurt!" Florina cried, abandoning her sword to kneel down in front of him. She looked at him helplessly.

"Only a li'l," he mumbled gruffly.

"I-I think I have a vulnery…Huey!"

The Pegasus ruffled its wings and made its way to Florina. It gave Dart a disdainful look as Florina ruffled through the bag.

"What are ye lookin' at?" Dart grumbled to Huey. Huey let out a snort of angry breath through her nose, shaking her head.

"Huey!" Florina reprimanded. Her Pegasus hung its head and whined, nudging Florina in her side. "Now isn't the time, girl."

Dart noted how very comfortable the lavender-haired girl was with the Pegasus. She never stuttered once.

"Maybe we should go to the store," he said unwillingly. "She has vulneries, yah know…"

Florina frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."

He chuckled. "Right." He looked at his knuckles that had hardened blood. "I still think she's angry 'bout that shelf."

She faced him, looking sad and guilty. "I-I don't have any vulneries." Her eyes watered.

"'Tis not yer fault," Dart said reassuringly. Florina shook her head, covering her face with her hands.

"Y-yes it is," she sobbed. "I-if I'd just g-gathered m-my supplies…a-and if I wasn't there at the shop, you w-would've b-been able to—"

Dart stood up and closed the distance between them. "Listen to me, Florina. It ain't yer fault. It's nobody's fault. Actually, if 'tis anybody's fault, it's that damned shopkeeper's."

"B-but if I-I wasn't there, sh-she would've—"

"Wouldn't have given me anything anyways. None o' this is yer fault, okay? Neither o' us saw that myrmidon. Hell, 'tis thanks to ye that I'm alive. I would've been a goner if it weren't fer ye. Thanks."

She looked up from her hands, tears flowing from her pretty eyes. In her white dress and the way her the tears shined out like little gems in the fog made her seem like a sweet angel sent from St. Elimine. "R-really?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. Seems like ye saved me life again. C'mon, now, wipe those tears off yer face."

She rubbed her hands against her eyes, ridding the tears. She sniffed.

"Better?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now, let's find that damned assassin, Lego, or whatever his name is."

"I'm surprised you don't know my name! We've been in the same army for how long?"

Dart's surprised shout echoed through the silent fog, making Legault laugh and even Florina giggle.

"Damn you!" Dart growled, twirling to face the assassin.

"For what? Bringing a healer with me to fix that horrible face of yours?"

He scowled and folded his arms across his chest crossly. Florina giggled. Indeed, as Legault had said, Serra emerged from the fog and started to heal the wounds and cuts. The pink-haired girl gave the lavender-haired one a look that Florina didn't quite understand. It was mischievous and seemed to say "I knew it!"

"All right," she said as she put her staff down, returning her attention to Dart. "You'll be fine. That scar on your face"—she indicated to the cut that the myrmidon gave him, now a faint line—"will disappear in a few days. Now, Legault." She twirled to face the ex-Fang member. "Please take me to my next patient. I can't believe this fog hasn't cleared up yet!"

A flicker of annoyance passed his face. "I thought you were with Lowen was your escort."

"Yes, but now that you've taken me away from them; I'm going to have trouble finding my way back! And since I don't have eyes like yours (mine are prettier, though!), you're going to have to take me back."

He sighed. "All right. Anything for my fair lady."

"That's what I want to hear," she said with a flip of a pigtail, marching off into the thick fog. "Oh, and Florina." She paused, glancing back at Florina, unable to stop a smile. "We're going to need to talk later."

Florina frowned. What would they possibly talk about?

Legault shot Dart a look. "You owe me one, loverboy."

Dart was taken aback. "What'd ya call me?"

He smirked. "You heard me. That's what happens when you call me Lego."

"Legault!" Serra shrieked. He sighed and started to stalk off in her direction.

"Oh, and pirate boy," Legault added with a glance over his shoulder, "You were right. Pretty faces haven't softened you up…but a pretty _face_ sure has."

Florina looked confused, tilting her head. Dart, however, understood immediately. His voice flushed a red and he stepped toward the assassin.

"You-!"

With a laugh and a wink, Legault disappeared into the dark, ignoring the curses after him.

~-~-~-x-~-~-~

"And I thought Serra was bad…" Erk grumbled to himself as Raven and Jasmine argued behind him. Erk and Jasmine had split off from their group to close the village gates (they received some sort of Earth seal—he had no idea what it was, and neither did Jasmine) when they discovered that they couldn't find their way back. And then they stumbled along Raven, who'd also broken apart from his group. Voluntary or not, Erk didn't know.

So now the three of them were roaming around the rather dangerous fields in hope of finding others of their army. Erk didn't really mind too much at first, since there was minimal fighting to do (there was the occasional archer or two), but the more and more time he spent with Jasmine and Raven, the more he wanted to get away from them. Wasn't it bad enough that Serra bothered him on a daily basis? Now that he thought about it, though, he didn't hear too much of her. She spent a lot of her time with that monk—Bishop, beg his pardon—so he didn't see her around much. He couldn't quite figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

…

It was most definitely a good thing.

He did spend a lot of time with Lord Pent now, too. That could also contribute to the lack of Serra's annoying voice he heard…the more he thought about it, he realized he could finally hear the leaves fall and rustle along the ground, now that he didn't have to hear the pig-tailed girl's constant chatter.

Erk's thoughts were interrupted with a "Shut up!" and a "Hah!"

Scowling, he stopped walking and faced the two. They abruptly stopped, nearly running into him.

"Will you two please be quiet?" he snapped. "I've had it up to here! Do you have any idea how many enemies you could be attracting right now?"

Raven immediately scowled at Jasmine. "I told you to shut up."

"Hey! You were the one that started everything."

"Me? How?"

"By your unnecessary comment of 'oh, I knew you'd still do horrible in fogs!'" She mocked his voice, flying up her hands in exasperation. He glared at her.

"If that's how you think I sound, then I hope you realize how horrible you sound to my ears—"

Erk sighed, slapping a hand to his face. At this rate, they'd be lost in this cursed fog forever!

"More of these damned killers? Prepare to meet your match!"

Erk barely had time to register where the voice had come from when a hand axe flung passed him. Raven pulled Jasmine back right in time, though a few pieces of her brown curls fluttered to the ground.

Erk lit up his tome, and a fire ignited the dark fog. A huge, bulky figure was marching its way toward them. Erk didn't even see the other figure behind the bulky one.

Murmuring incantations under his breath, Erk allowed a ring of fire to appear around the walking figure. The figure stopped abruptly. Now that the fire illuminated him, Erk could make out the immense form of silver armor that covered the figure from head to toe. He had to be a General, no doubt.

Jasmine seemed to notice too. "Oh, great…" she muttered. Then, straightening up, she said, "Let's make him dance a little, Erk. Raven, you try to take that helmet off him so we can get that neck cut."

Erk couldn't help but smile slightly at her choice of words. Flipping through his tome, he opened up to the page with a big lightning bolt on it. Raising it over his head, he muttered a few words underneath his breath.

Lightning struck inside the ring of fire. The General hopped about in that heavy armor, cursing and shouting as he dodged the attacks. Meanwhile, Raven quickly made his way toward the armored man, trying to figure out which angle would work best.

The General, however, noticed the approaching redhead. Swinging his lance about, he struck it toward the unsuspecting Raven. He immediately dropped to the ground, barely avoiding the attack. Nobody noticed another silent person glide through the thick fog, toss a large stone in his hands a few times, and throw it at Erk's raised tome. It fell out of his hands, and the ring of fire disappeared. Erk immediately stooped down to get his tome, but another pair of hands, a pair of rather worn hands, picked it up before him. Immediately he looked up. A man a decade or so older than him stared back at him, his brown eyes resting unblinkingly on Erk's purple.

"What's going on?" the General shouted. He had one foot rested upon Raven's chest, lance to his throat. He didn't kill him, though, for his eyes rested on the strange green cloaked man.

A skim of a smile passed the cloaked man's lips. Handing Erk his tome, he shouted to the General, "These are not our enemies, dear Wallace."

The man named Wallace frowned, taking off his helmet to reveal his shiny head. Hmm? Erk was sure he'd seen that man before. Wallace peered down at Raven through narrowed eyes.

"You sure? I don't like the looks of this one."

Raven glared at him.

The cloaked man laughed. "Yes, I'm sure." He paused, looking at Erk. "Sorry about the tome, son. It should still work, though, right?"

Erk didn't know no what to say. He was completely confused and bewildered.

"Sweet St. Elimine," Jasmine murmured from behind. She put a hand over her mouth and looked as if she could cry with joy.

The green cloaked man stepped away from Erk and made his way toward her. Raven struggled under Wallace's foot.

"St. Elimine? Where?" The man stopped in front of Jasmine, his cloak swishing. He smiled one of those rare smiles that were hard to come by, ones that illuminated everything around them, ones that earned attention without asking for it. "I don't see St. Elimine anywhere. I only see a young lady by the name of Jasmine."

With a laugh of joy, Jasmine ran up to him and threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly. He laughed, hugging her back. Feeling something in him ignite angrily, Raven threw Wallace's foot off of himself and rolled over, ignoring the General's disgruntled shout. "Who's that?" he barked at Jasmine. She finally released the man, and didn't even look over at Raven. Her eyes were on the cloaked man and him only. A variety of emotions covered her face: shock, wonder, and, above all, happiness. Raven was more than certain that he'd never seen her so happy before. Her face was lit up like a young child's and the smile never left her lips.

"This," she said, "is Mark."

Raven had a feeling he would not like this man who went by 'Mark'.

Not one bit.

* * *

><p><em>I finally incorporated more romance between others and made it more obvious about who's with who, huh? At least, I hope I did. I'm pretty positive I did. The scene with Dart and Florina was longer than I expected, but it was also better, so it all plays out in the end. And pardon the language used, if anybody took any offense by it. But a lot of women are flirty in this chapter, huh? o.O I hadn't intended to compile all the flirtatiousness together, but that's how it turned out. <em>

_Ooh. I have to admit that I love my little cliffhanger at the end. FINALLY, I get to show off a little of Jasmine's past. The next few chapters should reveal more and more of it, until, hopefully, you get the gist of it.  
><em>

_Oh, and here's a heads up on my updating status: I am not sure how often I will be able to update, but much less than I used to. Hopefully. Haha. By hopefully I mean that hopefully I manage to study my butt off and get good grades. :P So I won't be able to write as often because of that immense studying I need to do *ahem* have been doing for months, of course...ha...ha...  
><em>

_Happy reading!  
><em>


	17. Chapter 17

"I…I can't believe it's actually you. It really is, isn't it?" Jasmine murmured, reaching out toward Mark, as if worried her hand would go through him and he would vanish. He chuckled softly and nodded.

"Yes, it really is me. It's a little hard to see each other through this fog, though, huh?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

A silence followed.

"You know these people?" Wallace asked Mark. Raven didn't take his narrowed eyes off the green-cloaked man.

"I only know her." He gestured to Jasmine. "These other two, I don't know."

"These are my companions," Jasmine said. "Erk and Raven. We all travel in an army, with Hector, Eliwood, and Lyn. We were just—"

"Lyn? As in Lady Lyndis?" Wallace asked, interested, as he stepped out closer toward her. Raven reluctantly followed.

"Yes..." Jasmine said slowly. "What about her?"

"What? Lady Lyndis?" Mark said incredulously, though he was ignored.

"She is my liege. I am from Caelin, you see, and—"

"Wait. Your name is Wallace, right?"

Wallace frowned. "Yes."

"Do you remember me?" Jasmine stepped out closer toward him. "It's me, Jasmine. I accompanied Lyn to Caelin."

There was a pause as Wallace scratched his bald head in thought. Then he snapped his large fingers.

"Yes, I remember you! You were that tactician girl!" They grinned at each other. "And...you said you are with Lady Lyndis now?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes. I'm her—well, actually Hector's—tactician right now!"

"Jasmine, that's splendid!" Mark exclaimed, beaming at her. "Look at how far you've come! Working for lords? I told you that you could anything if you believed you could!"

Raven raised an eyebrow.

She smiled. "Must you always be right, Mark?"

"Oh, dear, I'm not always right. I make mistakes as well."

Raven slowly stepped toward the group, annoyance sketched across his face.

"Rarely."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"You're too modest."

"As are you."

"I am not!"

"Aha! You see what I'm saying?" Mark chuckled when she pursed her lips like a child. "I'd love to see your new tactical skills, though."

"The best way to do that would be to get back into the battle," Raven spoke for the first time. "You're getting sidetracked, as usual, tactician."

Jasmine immediately glared at him. Mark turned his head toward the redhead curiously, with his eyebrows slightly raised.

"I have to agree with Raven on this one," Erk spoke, making his way toward the small circle. "We_ are_ still in the midst of a battle. We have to get back to the others."

She nodded. "You're right." She paused, shuffling her feet, and peeked at Mark tentatively. Before she spoke, Wallace boomed,

"I wish to join you all on your journey. I want to serve milady Lyndis and make sure she comes home to Caelin safe and sound."

"It would be wonderful to have you back again. I'm sure Lyn would be pleased."

"I suppose our journey ends here," Wallace said to Mark.

"It was a rather short trip," Mark laughed. "We barely made it half a mile."

Wallace laughed a laugh strong and deep. "Short, perhaps, but you'd be surprised at how much two men can bond in battle."

"You've got a good point."

He placed his large hand on Mark's shoulder. "Travel safely. And thank you for guiding me through his cursed fog."

"It was my pleasure."

"You're leaving?" Jasmine murmured softly.

Mark turned to her. "I have places to go."

"I understand," she said quietly, looking down at the ground. Mark stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"Yes, well, we also have a battle to finish," Raven said shortly. "C'mon, Erk, Jasmine…Wallace. Let's go."

Jasmine stared at Mark with wide, sad eyes. Then, after a brief moment, she smiled. "As much as I hate to admit it, he is right; we have a battle to finish. Perhaps we'll meet again. Goodbye, for now."

With a little wave, she started to walk off with the others. Mark hesitated a moment, before shouting after her.

"Wait, Jasmine!" She glanced back at him curiously. Raven raised an eyebrow and let out a little scoff of annoyance. "I don't have to go just yet. There's no time limit as to where I must be."

"What are you saying?" she asked slowly.

He grinned widely. "I think it's high time you show me your tactical skills."

Jasmine squealed in joy, jumping up and down in excitement. "I can't believe it! I can't believe it! You're actually going to travel with us!"

Raven grimaced. He couldn't believe it either.

* * *

><p>"Florina? Is that you?" Fiora called out in the fog as she noticed a figure fly toward her.<p>

"No," said a male voice.

"Oh, it's you, Heath. I thought that that figure was a little too bulky to be a Pegasus."

Heath looked down at Hyperion. "You hear that, buddy? I told you that you've been eating too much." His Wyvern let out a snort of dismay.

Fiora offered them a look of amusement. Then, on a serious note, she asked, "Do you know where Florina is? I haven't seen her at all."

"Jasmine did place you guys apart," he pointed out. "I'm sure she's fine, though. Dart's a good man. He's taking good care of her."

Fiora frowned. "Florina already has trouble with men, but why pair her with a man like _Dart_, of all people?"

Heath raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He is a pirate," she stated. "He's a bit of a..." She struggled to find the right word. "Well, he's not very gentle, is he?"

"No, he's really not, but that doesn't make him a bad man."

"I beg to differ," Fiora mumbled.

"Oh?" Heath raised his eyebrows. "So Lord Hector is a bad man?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"He's not exactly the gentlest man around, though, is he?"

She let her mouth hang open in disbelief. Then, gaining control of herself, she asked defensively, "What's your point?"

"You can't judge a man just like that." He snapped his fingers, startling Makar, who let out a neigh and kick of the front legs.

"Easy, Makar," Fiora said, tugging on the reigns. "It's alright." She petted its head reassuringly. "It's alright."

Heath stared at her, surprised at her gentleness. Fiora, though she came off as overprotective, never struck as him as gentle. Her sister, yes, seemed very docile, but Fiora always seemed...on edge. She acted as if the mere blow of the wind would harm Florina. He liked the way Fiora was right now, murmuring sweetly to her Pegasus. She was quite easy on the eyes, too, now that he got a good look at her...

"Now," she said to the Wyvern rider, "where were—why are you looking at me like that?"

His face heated up and he could only quickly blubber, "Well, I, you, me..." before, with a very embarrassed expression, he flew off. Fiora raised an eyebrow and glanced down at Makar.

"Do you know what that was about?"

Makar snorted.

* * *

><p>"Lord Hector?" Isadora whispered into the fog. "Lord Hector?" She frowned when she heard no answer, and whipped her head around, tugging on her horse's reigns. She had lost contact with the blueheaded lord after he had marched into some village, saying he would be back shortly. He wasn't back yet. She wasn't sure whether she should wait longer or make her way toward the village.<p>

Feet glided against grass silently. A sword twirled, slicing through the dense mist.

Isadora barely had time to register the figure flying toward her. She maneuvered out of the way, tugging her horse away, ducking her head, but she didn't make it on time; the sword sliced the back of her neck. She let out a sharp cry of pain, putting one hand to the back of her neck, the other unsheathing her sword. She tilted her head back and forth, breathing soundly, eyes narrowed. Where was…

A streak of something yellow—lightning?—hit the ground below her, and her steed let out a neigh of surprise, kicking its front legs high up in the air.

"Whoa, girl, whoa!" Isadora cried, tugging her horse's reigns, trying to settle it. Her eyes flitted back and forth. Whoever her opponent was, he was skilled.

"Isadora? Is that you?" That was Lord Hector's gruff voice, no doubt about it. She was about to give out a cry of warning when her opponent flew toward her again—this time, though, she was prepared. She slashed her sword out toward him, and their swords collided. He then proceeded to thump down to the ground behind her, and twirled around to face her. He raised his sword in the air, but not in the usual fighting stance; he held it up in the air like a staff.

Before he could conflict any damage, Hector's axe swooshed from behind. The Fang jumped backward and kicked—yes, kicked—Hector in the chest. Surprisingly, despite his heavy build and heavy armor, Hector stumbled back. He nearly lost control of his axe, but managed to keep it and himself upright.

Hector growled lowly. "You're the leader of this pack of curs, aren't you?"

His opponent smirked. "That I am. And you, likewise?"

"I lead no pack of curs," spat Hector. His opponent chuckled, amused. "It is a well-trained army that I lead."

"Oh? Is that what you call it?"

He growled lowly again and swung toward the Fang, but he jumped back.

"I'll not be made fun of by some scum Fang! Prepare to meet your match."

"You're going to challenge me with that axe of yours?" He laughed, and ducked the next swing. "If only Linus were here…we'd have a nice laugh." He straightened up, squaring his shoulders. "Nonetheless, I'll give you a fight. Though I believe it's obvious who's going to win."

He flashed a winning grin and immediately darted toward Hector. With a mere draw of his hand and quick flick of the wrist, he slit Hector's leg. Hector grunted as his knee buckled, but swung his axe around. There was a loud clang as his axe collided with Lloyd's sword. The two men stood, pressing invisible forces against their weapons, deadlocked.

There was the sound of hooves, and a moment later Lyn landed in the grass beside Hector.

"Isadora told me you needed help," she said, adjusting her grip on her Mani Katti.

"And she brought _you_?" Hector grunted as he brought his axe down toward Lloyd. He easily maneuvered passed it. Lyn flashed her eyes at Hector before dashing off toward Lloyd. She slashed her sword toward him, but he blocked it with his own. They adjusted their footings, circling around each other, eyes glinting and hands moving.

Their dance was broken when Hector's axe swung toward Lloyd's head. When Lloyd ducked the attack, Lyn slashed his arm, creating a deep gash.

"Nice one," he muttered, briefly glancing down at his wound. Lyn and Hector looked at each other, surprised; no enemy had ever been close to complimenting their skills.

"Erm…thank you," Lyn said. Lloyd actually smiled, his eyes crinkling. The smile disappeared in a flash, and as quick as it disappeared he raised his arm, sword in hand. Hector roared in surprise at the lightning bolt that scorched the end of his cape.

"What…?" breathed Lyn, watching with wide eyes as Lloyd charged toward her. Then, smoothly, graciously, she leaped up in the air, toe pivoted toward the ground, sword brandished in the air. Hector stared, open-mouthed. Then she plummeted to the ground, bringing her sword down with her, and it crashed with a deafening ring with Lloyd's sword.

And then he fell. His knees buckled and he fell on the dewy grass. Lyn and he kept their eyes and swords locked together.

He raised his eyebrows. "You beat me," he said slowly, as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He seemed to have trouble keeping a straight face, his eyebrows and lips twitching. "Well, go on."

Lyn stared at him for a brief moment, and then she sheathed her sword. Immediately Lloyd opened his eyes and Hector raised his eyebrows.

"Lyn, what are you doing?"

"This man means no harm to us."

"No harm to—he tried to kill us!"

"No…" Lyn shook her head. She looked down at Lloyd, who stared back at her. "It is not easy for a man to give himself up to death, and especially with dignity. He may be Fang, but he has honor."

There was a stretched silence that was broken by a shout from behind.

"Lyndis! Hector!"

Hector turned to see a blurry shade of red running toward them. The fog was clearing a little now, but not by much. Eliwood stopped next to Hector, peering at Lloyd curiously.

"What…?"

"You're strong, but foolish," Lloyd said as he got up, "wasting sentiment on me, your enemy."

"I am not wasting sentiment," Lyn said firmly. "I simply speak the truth."

Lloyd did not respond, sheathing his sword. He stared at her, and then smiled a little. "Spoken like a true Sacaen. All of you tell the truth to no fault."

"And you know that from Uhai?" Eliwood said softly. Lloyd immediately turned to face him, eyebrows knotting.

"What?"

"We battled your comrade Uhai on Dread Isle."

"He too fought with honor," Lyn said. "You Black Fang aren't evil by nature."

Lloyd said nothing, eyebrows knotted in thought.

"Will you join our cause?" questioned Eliwood.

"No. However, something is…amiss. You have been granted a brief reprieve until I have my answers."

"Tell us, what is your name?"

"I'll tell you the next time we meet." He winked. His expression suddenly became grave as he said, "Watch out for a woman named Sonia."

And then he took a few steps back, melting into the fog and disappearing silently.

"That was close," Hector said.

"I knew what I was doing, Hector," Lyn said shortly.

"I never said you weren't."

"You seemed to doubt it."

"Come, come, you two," Eliwood interrupted. "At least we learned something about our opponent."

"The Black Fang seems to have some honor after all. Perhaps they really are just being used by Nergal. We should talk to their head, Brendan Reed," Lyn said.

"Perhaps we can resolve this without any more fighting," Eliwood said hopefully.

"I don't like it," Hector put simply. "Sounds like a terrible plan."

Both Eliwood and Lyn stared at him in confusion.

"Hector?"

"Let's get back to the village," he said, turning around. "We might have word from Pent."

"Wait, Hector, we still have to gather up the others and—"

But he had already vanished into the fog.

"I wonder what that was all about," Lyn said.

* * *

><p>"And there's Bartre," Lyn said, counting off a finger, so that only three remained. Bartre turned to her, and Hector grimaced at the bruised eye and bloodied cheek. "Serra's over there." She gestured to the pink-haired Bishop, chatting away to the smiling Sain.<p>

"What about Priscilla?" Bartre grumbled.

"She's actually healing Kent right now."

Murmuring words underneath his breath, he trudged off grudgingly. Hector snickered.

"Poor fellow."

Lyn giggled, but quickly frowned, staring at her remaining fingers. "I wonder if Eliwood and Matthew found them."

"They better have, or we'll have to start another search party!"

And just as Hector's words left his lips, Eliwood walked into the inn. He looked exhausted.

"We found the rest of them," he yawned, rubbing his eyes. "It's nearly dark out. I wonder when Louise and Pent will come back."

His face brightened significantly when he saw Ninian waving at him. He quickly made his way over to her. Lyn looked over at them slyly, and Hector frowned at her expression.

"Why are you looking at them like that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, Hector, you can be so oblivious sometimes." She paused. "Well, all the time."

He scowled, making her giggle. "Hey!"

"Hey!" Matthew said cheerfully, as if Hector had just greeted him, waltzing into the inn. "We found them! Though, surely Lord Eliwood has already told you that." He paused, glancing over his shoulder at Lyn. "I think there's somebody you'd like to meet."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What—"

But Matthew walked off, whistling to himself. She frowned after him.

"What was he—?"

"Lady Lyndis!" a booming, electrifying voice came from the doorway. Nils looked up from his dinner with wide eyes, wondering who could possibly have such a voice.

For a moment, there was merely a shiny head sticking through the doorway, but then a body squeezed in.

"What the—?" started Hector, staring up at the bald man. He was as big as Hawkeye, but not as wide.

"Wallace!" Lyn shouted, and Wallace grinned down at her. He bowed.

"Milady Lyndis. It's great to see you well again."

"What are you doing here?" she asked when he straightened up.

"I was on my way to Caelin, when I heard a battle going on. I joined in, and later found Jasmine. She happily let me join your cause."

"That's wonderful!" beamed Lyn. "Please, sit down and have some food."

"Don't mind if I do," he chortled, and walked over to the table, booming with each step. Hector stared after him.

"I think we're going to need another tent." He paused, watching Wallace sit down. He filled up two peoples' worth of space on the bench. "Another few."

Lyn giggled. "He's probably smaller than Hawkeye, you know."

"Yeah, and Hawkeye only takes up, what, five tents?"

Lyn giggled harder. Hector smiled lopsidedly, looking rather pleased.

"I can't wait to eat," Erk murmured as he swiftly walked into the inn. He paused, glancing back at the giggling Lyn and smiling Hector. Raising an eyebrow slightly (why weren't they arguing?) he asked, "Are Lady Louise and Lord Pent back?"

"No," Lyn said, shaking her head and ending her giggles. Erk said no more, stalking off to a table that was as far away as Serra's as possible.

Raven was scowling darker than ever when he marched in. When Lyn opened her mouth to greet him, he glared at her with such ferocity that her mouth was left hanging open. Then he stomped off.

"What was that about?" Lyn said, bewildered.

Hector shrugged nonchalantly. "He's always scowling, isn't he?"

"Yes, but I've never seen him _that_ angry."

"Maybe he didn't enjoy staying out in the fog for so long."

"Oh, Lyn!" Jasmine cried, looking absolutely ecstatic when she hurried in. "There's somebody I want you to meet!"

"Now, now, let's not make such a big deal out of this," Mark said, though he smiled. He strolled in leisurely, and his smiled brightened even more. "Lord Hector." He bowed, and then turned to Lyn. "Lady Lyndis." This time, he clasped his hands together as if in prayer, and bowed deeply. Lyn looked bewildered. "Thank you," he said, getting down one knee so that his green cloak pooled around his legs. He stared up at her square in the eye. "Thank you for taking care of Jasmine." Gently, he took her hand and placed a kiss on it.

Lyn's cheeks tinged pink. Hector gaped. Jasmine put a hand over her mouth, looking away as if she was embarrassed, or that she was holding in her laughter. Mark stood back up, his smile brighter than ever.

Lyn squared her shoulders. "And you, sir, are…?"

"I go by Mark, milady."

Lyn's eyes widened, her eyebrows disappeared under her hairline, and her mouth opened into a silent 'o'. Hector's eyebrows furrowed at Lyn's reaction.

"You…you're…?" She put her hands over her mouth, eyes still wide. Then, with a sudden laugh of joy, she embraced him. He stumbled back, eyebrows high, but laughed. "What are you thanking _me_ for?" she said as she released him, looking up at him. "I should be thanking _you_!" She put her palms together, just like he had, and bowed her head.

Rath and Guy followed suit, nodding respectfully to the stranger whose name they didn't even know. A few of their comrades glanced around, confused.

"Oh, please," Mark said, "you need not thank me."

She stared at him as if he'd grown another head. "Need not thank you?" she said incredulously. "Of course I need to thank you! Even thanking you isn't enough! Is there something I could get for you, perhaps? Anything, really, for the man that has done so much for my good friend—"

"Lyn," muttered Jasmine, embarrassed.

"No, no, I need nothing." He paused. "Actually…if you would allow it, I would like to stay with you and your army for a short time."

"Stay as long as you want!" Lyn said immediately, making Hector gape at her. "The entire trip, if you must!"

Mark chuckled. Hector looked a little irritated, folding his arms across his broad chest.

"What the hell is going on here? Who are you?"

"He told you already," Jasmine said, stifling a giggle, "his name's Mark. No wonder Oswin's always telling you to pay attention!"

Lyn snickered, and Hector glared at both females. Jasmine's eyes, however, flickered to Mark's, which stared back into hers. He gave her a little reassuring smile, and she relaxed.

"You know what I mean," Hector said impatiently.

"How about we talk it over some stew?" Lyn offered.

"Good idea," Jasmine said. The four of them walked over to a table. Hector called Eliwood over, and all five of them soon started to chat.

Raven glared at them all. He sat in his corner, arms folded, eyes glinting furiously. Lucius appeared to be looking for him, but he stayed put, refusing to move.

Matthew walked up beside him, casually propping a foot against the wall. "I thought you looked angrier than usual." He munched on a piece of bread, grinning down at the redhead. Raven turned his head to glare up at him.

"What do you want, thief?" he snarled.

"I was just checking on you." He shrugged. "Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Look, if it's about Ostia again—"

"It's not," Matthew interrupted. "Not at all." He paused, glancing off toward the lords' table. "Interesting fellow, isn't he?" Raven raised an eyebrow at him. The brunette grinned down at him. "Don't you agree?"

Raven said nothing.

"I'll take that as a no. I think he's an interesting guy, though."

"I don't care what you think," Raven snapped.

"Ouch. That wasn't very nice of you to say, Raven."

He scowled deeply, making Matthew smirk in amusement.

"You may not care what I think, but you surely seem to care a great deal of what Jasmine thinks."

Raven's eyes widened, and he half-stood up. "What do you...?"

Matthew's response was a devilish smirk before he dashed off. Raven shouted after him angrily, not caring who turned to look at him, and, angry that the brunette didn't return, slumped back against the wall, arms crossed angrily.

He glanced back over the lords' table, and his eyes met Jasmine's. She raised her eyebrows at him expectantly, as if asking him to say something, but he simply glared. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, obviously not pleased with his response. Her eyes left his when Eliwood spoke to her, and she moved his head to face him. But a moment later, her eyes flicked in Raven's direction again, before returning back to the conversation at hand.

_You surely seem to care a great deal of what Jasmine thinks._

Raven snorted to himself. Ostians. They thought they knew everything.


	18. Chapter 18

Raven lay down on his back in his tent, staring up blankly. He didn't feel like "socializing" with the others, no matter how much Lucius insisted. Wil had almost started a conversation with him, but he managed to maneuver around it by saying that he needed to sleep. So here he was now. He wasn't tired at all, considering that they had only walked all day today (the lords said that they should reach their destination tomorrow) and found that the best way to pass the time was to just relax. He hadn't relaxed like this in a very, very long time.

And it didn't last long either. Lucius walked into the tent, saying a little "Oh!" as he saw Raven lying on the ground. Raven grunted a little. So much for getting some peace and quiet.

"Did I awake you?" Lucius asked softly.

"The candle's still on, Lucius; what do you think?"

Lucius smiled a little as he stepped inside. "I guess not. L…Raven, do you mind if we have somebody else bunk with us tonight?"

"Yes," Raven grumbled, "but it doesn't matter anyways, does it?"

"I won't come in if you don't want me to."

Raven's eyes narrowed at the head that popped in through the tent opening.

"Then don't bother because I don't want you here."

"Raven!" Lucius admonished. "We have plenty of room here, and we're going to let Sir Mark stay."

Raven merely scowled in response. But of course, the ever so generous and kind Mark said,

"I don't want to be a burden to anybody. Thank you for the offer, Lucius, but perhaps I will just see if Jasmine—"

"Fine. Stay."

Lucius raised an eyebrow slightly and Mark looked surprised. Then his expression changed to one that Raven found irritating because he didn't quite understand it—it had a certain slyness to it, a certain amused slyness.

"Alright, then. If you so insist." He came into the tent, lugging his blankets with him. "It's been getting chilly lately, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has," Lucius agreed. Raven said nothing, only continuing to scowl.

"Lucius!" whined a voice that could only belong to Serra. Lucius jumped a little, excused himself, and scurried out of the tent, shouting, "Yes?"

The tent was left in silence. Mark set his blankets out and Raven resumed his activity of staring up at the tent ceiling.

"So," Mark said after a moment, "you're quite close with Jasmine, aren't you?"

Raven raised an eyebrow as he looked at the green cloaked man. "No."

Mark smiled a little. He looked at Raven as if he had just told him a miserable joke. "Well, you two only talked for half the day today."

"We argued," Raven corrected. "You're the one who talked with her half of the day."

"I'm only here for a short time," he pointed out. "And, yes, I do suppose you're correct; you two argued, not talked." He paused. "I'd appreciate it if you were kinder to Jasmine."

Raven sat up and arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"She's been through enough in her life, and it doesn't help to be rude and hurtful. I've heard the things you said; they weren't very nice."

"And neither is eavesdropping on people's conversations," he mumbled quietly but loud enough for Mark to hear. He raised an eyebrow.

"We're not talking about me," Mark said, his voice losing a little bit of its calmness and being replaced by testiness. Then he took a deep breath. "Though you are right; I shouldn't have been eavesdropping."

"No, you shouldn't have."

Again, he was showing some irritation. "It's not my fault you two were shouting at each other loud enough for everybody to hear."

"Then maybe you should discuss the problem with her, not me. You know her much better than you know me, after all."

Mark was silent for a moment. Then he said, "But I want _you_ to be kinder to her. If you were kinder to her, I'm certain that she would return the favor."

Raven snorted. "She would never be nice to me. It's just not possible."

"She's a very nice girl. You just need to give her a chance."

"I'm sticking to my ways," Raven snapped. "What's it to you, anyway? It's none of your business. This is between me and her, not you."

"No, it's not my business, but I care about Jasmine and I want her to have healthy relationships with her peers."

Raven rolled his eyes. "What gives you the right to dictate Jasmine and what she decides to do with her 'peers'?" He sneered the word 'peers' mockingly. Who did this man think he was? A noble?

Mark raised his eyebrows. He was quiet for a moment. Then, with a clear of his throat, he said, "I don't try to _dictate_ her; I just want her to make the right choices."

"But it's none of your damn business, is it?"

"I just said that it's not but—"

"Then stay out of it."

Mark bristled. "And what gives _you_ to the right to dictate _me_?"

Raven raised his eyebrows. If he wasn't annoyed, he might've been amused at the way Mark was losing his patience. "The same right you have to dictate Jasmine; none."

This silenced the cloaked man. Raven, thinking he'd won the battle, smirked slightly. But then Mark softly said,

"I want you to understand that I don't want to rule Jasmine's life. She's human too. She can make her own decisions."

"Then quit trying to make them for her."

"I'm not!" Mark snapped, and Raven was starting to feel thoroughly amused. If only the others could see the 'sweet and kind gentleman' now. "Look, I know Jasmine better than you do, and probably better than anybody in this army." Something about this irked Raven and made him glare at Mark. "And I know that all she needs is some kindness from the world."

"No." Raven shook his head much to Mark's shock. "What she needs is get out of her comfort zone and experience new things. And you're not helping."

He laughed a little. "I'm holding her back is what you're saying?"

"Congratulations, you officially have the mind capacity of a five year old."

"Well, Mr. I-don't-look-on-the-bright-side"—Raven scowled darkly—"You think that you're helping her out by being rude and destroying her self-esteem?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't care. But it's a new experience, isn't it?"

Mark did not respond to this. Instead, he said, "Jasmine's had numerous experiences here, and I will admit that you did let her experience something new, though it wasn't your behavior…"

Raven's eyebrows furrowed. He couldn't remember teaching Jasmine anything new. In fact, he'd saved her life so many times he wondered if she would ever learn how to be aware of her surroundings. "What would that be?"

Mark actually smirked. It was a sly, playful smirk, one that females wore when gossiping with their friends about future husbands. Raven didn't like it. "Feelings."

Raven's eyebrow arched so high that his forehead actually hurt. "_What_?"

Mark's response was to continue smirking. He curled up in his bed, but Raven stayed out of his bed, suddenly very interested in what Mark had to say.

"What do you mean by that, huh? Are you saying that she's never hated someone as much as hates me? Hey…hey!"

"She doesn't hate you," Mark replied calmly. Raven could still hear that smirk in his voice. "She probably doesn't even realize it herself, though…"

Before Raven could demand answers from Mark, Lucius walked into the tent. He was slightly pink in the face and had numerous twigs in his hair. The appearance was enough to throw Raven off.

"Lucius…what were you doing?"

Lucius immediately understand the look Raven gave him. He turned as red as a tomato and gasped scandalously. "Lo…Raven!" he admonished, face still beet red, "Don't you think such things!"

Raven couldn't help but smirk at the reaction. "What else am I supposed to think?"

"You're supposed to think that Serra and I were practicing our magic when…well, we had a little accident." He smiled sheepishly. That was when Raven realized that Lucius hadn't referred to Serra as 'Sister Serra'.

"Ah, I see," Raven said, deciding not to comment on his observation. He glanced back at over at Mark, who rolled over on his side. Lucius also looked at him.

"Is he asleep?"

Mark said nothing, so Raven said, "I guess so." But he knew that the tactician was faking it; nobody could fall asleep so quickly.

"I suppose we ought to get some sleep too," Lucius said with a yawn. He slipped under his covers. "Good night."

Raven was silent as he blew out the candle. He curled up in his blankets. He stayed there, eyes open blankly and unblinkingly. Then, feeling restless and annoyed, he stood up.

Lucius tiredly murmured, "Is something the matter?"

"I need some fresh air," Raven replied. "I'll be back in a bit."

As soon as he stepped outside, he went back in, debated on whether or not to stay and left again, dragging his blanket along with him.

He wrapped his blanket around him as the cold bit against his cheeks. His overwhelming thoughts slowly eased as he trudged along the grass. The moon was large and yellow tonight, and the stars were shining specks amongst the vast and never-ending black blanket above.

He paused and furrowed his brows when he noticed somebody sitting by the riverside. It was a particular somebody with curly hair. He hesitated. Should he leave her alone or should he…?

Slowly he walked toward her, until he was a yard or two away. He paused. She was hunched, her arms wrapped around her legs. He was about to turn and leave to give her some privacy when she said,

"Up for a midnight stroll?" Her voice was a little shaky, and there was a forced playfulness to her tone.

"I'm surprised you heard me."

"I've been trying to improve my attention skills." He could hear the small smile in her voice.

"Oh? Good. You can use that improvement."

"I know. I decided that I got sick of you saving my life."

He smirked slightly. "Does this mean that I don't have to save your life anymore?"

"Hopefully." She paused. "Will you…keep me some company?" Softly, she added, "Please?"

Shocked that she would even ask in the first place and would even add a polite little please, he walked over to her and sat down beside her, pulling his blankets around him.

He looked at her. She was sweaty and pale, as if sick. Her breathing was loud and ragged, and although she offered him a small smile, it shook. He wondered if she'd been crying, but remembered the one time she told him that she simply didn't cry.

"Are you sick?"

She shook her head. "No…though I can't say I'm feeling well."

That was when he noticed that she was only wearing a nightgown and a green cloak (he wondered if Mark had given her that, and pushed the annoying thought away).

"You _are_ going to get sick wearing just that." He took off his own blanket and offered it to her. Her eyes widened and she shook her head viciously.

"I'm fine. I like the cold. It's refreshing."

He gave her a doubting look. "You'll freeze."

She shook her head again. She smiled up a little at him, and it was more genuine this time. "I'm Ilian, remember? This is nothing."

"And I'm _not_ Ilian. I say this temperature is enough for somebody to get a cold, and what're we going to do tomorrow with a sick tactician?"

"It's not like I'd be much help anyway, right?" She looked at him, expecting him to agree.

"It looks like somebody's finally starting to accept the truth," he replied softly as he got up and wrapped his blanket around her shoulders. She looked at him as if he'd grown another head.

"I said I don't need this." She pulled at the blanket.

"And I said you do."

"But I don't need it! I'm wearing a cloak, after all!"

"But I say you do need it."

"Do you have any idea how stubborn you are?"

"Not as stubborn as you."

She scowled a little, but despite the fact that Raven was now shivering, it felt nice to have her return to her usual self.

"You'll get sick," she said, noting his shivers. "Here, I'll be fine."

She offered him his blanket. He refused to take it. She sighed.

"And what will we do when we're down one mercenary in battle? If I get sick, Mark can just take over."

Raven stopped shivering. He stiffened and scowled at the mention of the name.

"Whoa, you okay? Did your circulation stop or something? Here."

Raven felt the blanket envelope him and immediately tried to shake it off, but found that he couldn't; Jasmine was holding it down! She laughed a little when he struggled more, but she firmly kept her arms around him.

"There!" she said all too happily. "Now you're all nice and snug."

"Jasmine—"

"I'll be fine," she said, sounding exasperated. "Besides, I'm actually getting a little warm from your body heat." Indeed she was, considering the fact that she was up against his back with her hands tied around him to keep the blanket down. "It's probably because you're so hot-headed."

"Get off me," Raven snarled, shaking her off. She laughed and released her grip on him.

"You're just mad because you know it's true."

His response was a glare. She giggled. He stared at her for a moment.

"Why are you up so late?"

The smile slipped off her face. "I just needed some refreshing air. What about yourself?"

"I needed to think. And your buddy Mark was starting to stink up the place."

She raised an eyebrow. "Mark's bunking with you guys?" Apparently she didn't pay attention to the minor insult Raven had said.

"Yes. And you should get him out as soon as you can."

"I wonder why he decided to bunk with _you,_ of all people…" she murmured, mostly to herself. "Lucius, I understand…but if I had to spend a night with you too, I might just lose my mind."

"Shut up," he growled. She grinned at him. They stared at each other in silence, the wind playing with their hair.

"You know why I'm really out here, Raven?" Jasmine asked softly, turning the other way to look out at the river.

"No."

"I had a nightmare."

He raised his eyebrows; he hadn't expected her to _actually_ tell him. "Oh?"

"Yeah…" She laughed softly, as if to reassure him that it was nothing. But Raven saw right through her. "It wasn't very fun…"

"…Are you alright?"

She turned to him with a look of surprise. Although she was surprised that Raven seemed even the slightest bit concerned for her, she didn't comment on it. Instead, she said, "I'm better now that you're here." She didn't realize how that sounded until she said it. To hide her embarrassment, she hastily added, "Because your annoying behavior can distract me."

He scowled slightly, much to her relief. She almost had an urge to laugh at herself for feeling relieved. Perhaps she really had gotten far too used to his presence.

"At least I can be of some use," he grumbled. She smiled a little.

"Yes, for once you can."

"That nightmare must've been really bad if you're willing to keep me as your company."

"It was," she admitted. And she left it at that. He was silent, watching her movements.

"...How do you know Mark?" he asked after a few moments of silence. She turned to him, surprised.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'd like to know why a complete stranger is sleeping in my tent."

She hesitated and broke eye contact. "He's my friend."

"He must be a really close friend to be willing to give up his plans to spend his time with you." Something about his tone was off, and Jasmine caught it.

"Is that supposed to mean something?"

He shrugged. "It just makes me wonder if you're more than just friends."

She gasped. "Raven! That's disgusting! Why do you always jump to such conclusions?"

"Through my observations," he snapped. "You practically worship the man!"

"I do not!"

"He's treated as a god around these parts!" he shouted. She jumped. "I don't even know what makes him so special but I'm already sick of hearing his name, sick of hearing what a wonderful gentleman he is. Sick of it! If only you all knew what he said to me—"

"What did he say to you?" Her tone was sharp, almost protective.

He didn't respond.

"What did he say to you?" she asked louder. Again, he didn't respond. She let out an irritated huff. "Fine. I'll just go ask him then." She made a move to get up.

"Fine, fine," he spat. She stopped and sat back down. "He told me to be nicer to you."

She raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You're getting all worked up over _that_?"

He glared at her. "Yeah, that's it. Doesn't it annoy you that he's trying to control your life?"

"He's not trying to control my life," she said, genuinely surprised. "He's just helping me."

"And you can't make your decisions on your own? He's not your dad or anything"—She stiffened—"you can make decisions for yourself."

"Well," she said softly, relaxing slightly, "he has done a lot for me, you know. He saved me when I had nowhere to go and nobody to turn to."

"Of course," he grumbled. "He's just the greatest guy around, isn't he?"

"He is a great guy, but he's not the greatest guy around."

He looked at her. She smiled and took his hand, gently squeezing it. He raised his eyebrows. They stared at each other. The unspoken words spoke louder than the spoken ones.

"You know what made my nightmare so scary?" she asked quietly. She stared out at the river. "It wasn't really a nightmare. It was a reality. Well, a past reality, anyways. Something that I've already experienced…when I woke up, I thought that it was real, that I was actually there, that it was actually happening…but then I saw Priscilla sleeping and I remembered. I remembered where I was and who I am. That I am not the person I once used to be." She spoke bravely at the end, straightening her shoulders and tightening her jaw. They were silent once more.

"The past can come back to haunt us," Raven murmured as the wind picked up his fiery hair. "Even in our dreams…"

She looked at him. "Yeah…but the only thing we can do is to pick ourselves up and move on, right?"

"Yes…move on," he echoed. They stared at the constantly moving river. If destruction were to hit, the river would falter momentarily, only to continue on its path again.

"Because it's not the past that makes us who we are," she said firmly, talking more to herself to remind and assure herself, "But the decisions we make today, to move on or to remain back with our past, that makes us who we are."

He stared at her. Those words hit him hard, struck him hard as if he'd been struck in battle. It took him a few moments to regain his composure. Unconsciously his fingers tightened around hers so tightly that it was as if he was clenching onto them for dear life. Finally, he asked, "Who told you that? Mark?"

"I thought you were sick of hearing about him," she smirked. He scowled, loosening his grip on his fingers but still leaving them entwined, and she laughed. "But yes, he did. Maybe it sounds cheesy to you, but it's helped me…a lot."

Raven didn't respond. He looked up at the stars.

"So, are you my new star-gazing buddy now? I don't think Sain will be very pleased."

He smirked. "I'd do anything to wipe that smile off of his face."

"You just don't like him because he talks to Priscilla all the time."

"Actually, I just don't like him because he's an annoying, narcissistic lout."

"He's none of those things. Though I can't quite say the same about you."

"Shut up."

She laughed and stretched her arms, falling to the grass. He raised an eyebrow at him. She grinned.

"It feels nice down here. You should lie down too."

"No."

"Aw, c'mon!"

"I said n—AH!"

Jasmine tugged on Raven and he fell at an awkward angle. He fell to the ground face-flat, causing Jasmine to burst out into peals of laughter.

"Are you okay?" she asked between giggles.

He glared at her, rubbing his reddening forehead. "Was that necessary?"

"Yes. I didn't mean for you get hurt, though. I have to admit that much."

"You might not have meant to, but you certainly are glad you did."

She grinned.

"Hey, on the bright side, the view is beautiful from here." She pointed up to the sky. He looked up at the twinkling stars and shining moon. He reached a hand out and closed it into a fist, swallowing the moon. "Hey! Don't squish the moon!"

He gave her an exasperated look. She laughed. He stared at her, letting his hand drop back to his hand. He was surprised to find that he actually _was_ enjoying this; lying on the ground, next to the tactician. It was actually quite…comforting.

"I told you it's nice," Jasmine smirked. He rolled his eyes.

"Not unlike you."

"Should you really be talking?"

He glared at her and she giggled. She looked back up to the sky and smiled to herself. Raven stared at her for a moment. He realized that she'd never put her guard down around him the way she did now. This was a different side of her, a different side of her that he'd only ever seen once, when she was sleeping. And Raven was certain he wouldn't see this side of her again for quite some time.

For a brief moment Raven wondered which one he liked more: the peaceful Jasmine or the snappy one. Then he told himself that he actually liked neither. And that this peaceful one was very stupid for wearing a nightgown in such weather.

So he removed the blanket from himself and placed it on top of her with surprising tenderness. She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

And for the first time in many, many years, Raven smiled. It was a small smile, admittedly, but a smile nonetheless.

Jasmine's eyebrows disappeared under the mass of curls and her mouth opened slightly. After her shock, she smiled and said, "You have a really nice smile, Raven."

His smile disappeared and he said nothing. She pursed her lips.

"That was a compliment, you know."

"And since when do you compliment me?"

She paused. "Since tonight. And since when do you smile?"

He paused. "Since I was a kid, though I suppose I haven't smiled in a while."

She raised an eyebrow. "In a while? I've never seen you smile once."

"Actually, you have."

"No. When?"

"Just now."

She opened and then closed her mouth. She seemed to be thinking of some form of comeback, but finally decided upon just smiling at him. "You're right. And hopefully I'll see more of it."

"That's like me wishing that you'd shut up; it's never really going to happen."

"Jerk." She scowled and he smirked. "Now, I thought we were going to star gaze?"

He raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. She grinned and turned up to the sky.

"Do you see that cluster of stars over there? Don't they look like an upside down pot?"

"No, they look like…"

And so for the rest of the night they watched the stars, arguing over which ones looked like what, until sleep took them under its spell.


	19. Chapter 19

"Well," Mark said as he ducked a flying arrow, hands over his head, "this certainly isn't what I'm used to."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Jasmine asked.

"I'm never in the middle of the battle when I do my tactics; I stay in one place, a home base, and have somebody scout around to see how it's going."

"Oh?" She looked mildly surprised. "You know that I've only seen you work your magic"—Mark chuckled—"that one time during the surprise attack, so I never knew that. In a formal battle field, then, that's what you do?"

"Yes, and I must say it works quite well. Your method is interesting too, though." He smiled encouragingly, but she knew that he was just saying that to make her feel better.

"I know you'd probably rather have me tactic your way," she said and he raised his eyebrows in surprise at her forwardness, "and I do see where you're coming from."

"I never said—"

"I know you didn't, but I saw that disapproving glint in your eyes." She smiled at him, and he smiled back sheepishly. "Obviously your method is much safer, and I've considered it before, but I figured that it was easier for me to get into the action so I could tell what was going on. I'm more of a visual person, you know. And it's a risky move, I'll admit, and it was scary at first, being so close to danger and all, but I've gotten used to it."

He didn't respond for a moment, looking off to his right to watch Canas blast an axe man to pieces. When he looked back at Jasmine, he was beaming.

"I'm so proud of you, Jasmine, dear. You've grown so much—not only in your knowledge of tactics, but also as a person." He paused, seemed to be internally conflicted with whether or not he ought to say something, but apparently he decided to speak because he said, very delicately, "You sure showed your father that you could do whatever you put your mind to, that you didn't have to put with his ways and that you're a far stronger person than he thought you to be. I daresay he'd think himself a fool if he were to see how far you've come."

She instantly knew why he had trouble deciding on whether or not he ought to say that. At first she felt a little uneasy at his words, at the mention of her Pops, but she smiled. Mark had, after all, complimented her, and it was a very kind compliment indeed. "Thank you, Mark," she murmured, "Thank you...you have no idea how much that means to me."

He smiled at her and nodded. He walked off, hands clasped behind his back, as he took in his surroundings. His eyes were sharp and missed no details.

"You know, Mark," Jasmine said as she approached him, "I'd love to see you in action."

He laughed. "I'm a bit rusty, darling. I think I'll just mess up your brilliant plan."

"But I've only seen you direct an army once!" she whined. "And I couldn't even pay much attention since I was too busy trying not to get killed! Besides, once you're a brilliant tactician, you stay a brilliant tactician."

He smiled genuinely at her. "That's very sweet of you to say. I wouldn't want to intrude on your tactics, though...this is, after all, your army, and you ought to direct them."

"But I _want_ you to! C'mon, Mark, for old times' sake!"

He looked down at her pleading eyes and sighed. "Fine, then."

She squealed in delight. He rolled his shoulders, straightened up his cloak, and cracked his fingers.

"Let's get started, then, shall we?"

~x~x~x~

Raven couldn't believe it, but he actually didn't mind listening to Serra babble. He'd always found her ridiculously annoying, but today, he didn't really mind. At least Serra could watch after herself now, although she did almost catch Raven on fire. But that wasn't the point.

"You alright, pretty boy?" grinned Legault as he twirled around him. He casually threw a dagger and it hit an enemy monk in the throat. "You're awfully quiet."

"I'm battling," Raven growled, slashing his sword forth. It came in contact with the enemy myrmidon's chest, and he roughly yanked his sword back out. "I have no time to chat."

"You always seem to have time to chat with my Scar-buddy, though, don't you?" Legault replied in a sing-song voice, grinning widely. Raven sighed and rolled his eyes.

"That's only because she's always bothering me. She needs to learn how to pay more attention to her surroundings and spend less time yapping. The same goes for half of this army!"

"We're all just enjoying our time."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "We're in the middle of a war. It's no time to have fun."

"Then when will we ever have fun?" questioned Legault. "The world is always at war. If we don't take the time to enjoy and cherish everyday, then we won't have a chance to ever enjoy life. You have to make the best of your situation."

Raven stared at him. Serra sent an enemy on fire, and she giggled and clapped in glee, shouting "Did you see that?" as she watched him run around screaming. "You've been spending a lot of time with that poet Mark, haven't you?"

Legault burst out in a fit of laughter. "No, I actually can't say I have. Very kind man, respects me as much as he respects the Lords, but a little too overprotective and dramatic, don't you think? After he heard me call Jas 'Scar-buddy' he was on me like a hawk! I don't think he likes me much anymore; hasn't spoken to him since."

Raven nodded thoughtfully.

"We've secured the last fortress," Rath said as he rode up to them. He sheathed his sword.

"Ah, wonderful!" cried Serra, bounding toward the men. "My spell book was starting to get a little overused."

"What was in that village over there?" questioned Legault. Rath held up an Elysian whip. "Ah, well. Isn't very useful to me, is it?"

"Aren't Florina and Fiora already full-fledged Falcon knights already?" Serra frowned.

"There's Heath," Raven pointed out. "Maybe he could use it." He shrugged. "Either way, we ought to keep it."

"Well of course we should! Maybe we can sell it and finally buy some decent equipment! My shoes have gotten ruined from the last time we marched!"

The three men exchanged looks.

"There you all are! Hmm? Where's Bartre?" Lowen asked as he rode toward them.

"He's securing the village," Rath responded.

"Do you need something, Lowen?" questioned Serra.

"The lords have investigated around these parts and have found nothing to help us. Apparently Lord Hector had gotten false information."

"I knew something was fishy," grumbled Legault. "I knew that something was wrong as soon as I saw Pascal."

"And you couldn't have warned us?" snapped Raven. Legault shrugged.

"Well, I was sure that Lord Hector had a reason for coming here. Besides, I don't know the details of the lords' plans; there wasn't much input I could provide."

"You're right," grumbled Raven. "That brute Hector won't listen to anybody but himself, anyway."

Serra giggled.

Lowen cleared his throat awkwardly. "Err…well, yes, anyways, I came here to tell you that the battle is over and we're ready to march."

"March?" Serra shrieked incredulously. "Again? Don't we get to rest in a village or something? I'm exhausted from all this fighting."

"The Lords said that we don't have any time to lose…what with the time constraint we have, we need to keep on moving. Besides, it's only dawn…it's not too late…"

Serra let out an indignant huff. "Easy for them to say. They weren't casting spells all day long! My arms are aching!"

"And you think it's easier to swing an ax around than to lift a spell book?" Legault raised an eyebrow.

"No," Serra admitted, "but he doesn't have to be swinging it around the entire time! I have to hold my spell book in the air the entire time, _and_ I have to recite incantations…it's a lot of work, you know, especially for a fragile girl like me."

"Hey, is the battle over?" Bartre asked with a frown as he joined the group.

"Yes," said Lowen. "And now we must march on. We really should get back to the rest of the army…I'm sure they're all gathered by now…"

"Do you have to be so pushy, Lowen?" huffed Serra. He opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish. "We'll go when we're good and ready. You ready, guys?"

"Let's hurry up," growled Raven. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we stop and set up camp."

"The sooner we leave, the sooner we eat…" mumbled Lowen. Rath's mouth twitched.

"Bartre! Rath! Serra!" Everybody turned to see Fiora hovering above them. Legault mumbled something about being excluded from the names she called. "So you did find them, after all, didn't you, Lowen?"

"Yes, of course," he frowned. "Why wouldn't I have?"

"Well, you hadn't come back yet, so we figured that you'd either gotten lost or couldn't find the group."

Lowen grumbled incoherently underneath his breath, cheeks flushing a light pink.

"Come now, everybody, we really have no time to waste."

She flew off, gesturing for them to follow. Immediately Lowen set off after her, indignant of the conclusion she and the rest of the army had come to. Rath followed, and soon the others did as well.

"Ah! You found them, Fiora!" Eliwood said as he noticed the group approaching.

"They were right where they were supposed to be," she said as she flew down beside Florina. Farina, who had been speaking to Florina, abruptly let out an indignant "humph!" and looked away. "They just got sidetracked is all." She looked over at Lowen. "We really must work on that…"

Lowen's neck turned red.

"Don't be such a bully, Fiora," snapped Farina. "Not everybody's perfect like you."

"I wasn't being a bully," Fiora responded hotly. "I was simply suggesting that—"

"You're not head of this army, are you? You shouldn't be giving orders like that."

"Fiora wasn't trying to act like head of the army," Florina said, trying to avert the argument. "She was just trying to help."

"Thank you, Florina."

"Who's side are you on? Mine or hers? Clearly I'm right, so—"

"She's not on anybody's side! Keep Florina out of this. This is between you and me; don't try to change the subject."

"I wasn't trying to change the subject! I was just pointing out that—"

"Ladies," Marcus said in a firm tone, his sharp eyes on them.

They immediately silenced. Fiora hung her head but only after giving Farina a sharp look; Farina folded her arms and huffed indignantly; Florina turned a bright red and shuffled her feet.

Hector, who had been watching the sisters argue with an amused look on his face, returned his attention to the task at hand. He looked up toward the setting sun.

"We should be able to squeeze in some time marching today. Let's get a move on."

"But Lord Hector!" whined Serra as the army began to move, "We're tired!"

"I don't see anybody else complaining," Hector responded. He looked around to make his point.

"That's only because everybody's too scared of you to admit it!"

Eliwood laughed. Lyn giggled at Eliwood's laugh, and Hector glared at them.

"They're only scared of his face," Lyn said, grinning widely. He gaped at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he shouted.

"It means exactly what it's supposed to mean!" she laughed.

"They'll be more scared of your face once I'm through with you!" He made a move to grab her, but she laughed and ducked out of the way. Squealing with laughter, she dashed passed her comrades, squeezing passed them and interrupting conversations. Hector plowed right through them, shouting and shaking his fist.

"Play nice, you two!" Eliwood shouted after them.

* * *

><p>"I hope we can figure out some good, reliable information at the palace," Lyn said as she slurped on her stew. "We need to find that Emblem as soon as possible."<p>

"I hate how little time we have," Hector grumbled, munching on his corn. "The Shrine of Seals better be worth it."

"Of course it's worth it," Eliwood said immediately. "Any step we can take to stop the Fang we take, right?"

"Of course," Lyn said. "We have to stop them before…" she trailed off.

"Before Nergal brings back the dragons," Hector finished for her. He stood up and walked over to the pot brewing over the fire, only to gape down at it. He spoke to Rebecca for a moment before returning to the other lords. He looked grouchy. "They ran out of stew," he grumbled. "It was my favorite, too; lamb stew with potatoes. Lowen always puts the right amount of spice in it…and its so tender…" He stared at the bowl of stew in Lyn's hands.

"First come first served," she grinned.

Without a warning, he snatched it out of her hands. She gasped and tried to take it back, but he raised it out of her reach. Then, turning, he slurped up some of her stew by placing his lips on the bowl. Lyn pounced on him, wrestling the stew out of his hands.

"Hector!" she said, slightly out of breath. Her eyes were wide. "You can't just take my food like that!"

"I just did, didn't I?" He was grinning widely. A bit of stew was stuck on his chin. Lyn rolled her eyes and slapped him on his arm. "Ow!"

"That's what you get," she said and made a face at him. "Geez, you ate half of it!"

"I told you it's my favorite."

"And I told you first come first served; I got to the stew first, so it's mine to eat!"

Eliwood chuckled and shook his head. The smile slipped off his face as he noticed the bowl of stew that he held. Glancing back at Hector, and back at the stew, he realized that it wasn't worth the risk; so he quietly got up and scurried to the other side of the fire, where Ninian and Nils were talking with Dorcas.

"…and such a messy eater," Lyn said as she wiped Hector's chin with a handkerchief. He made a face like a child and swatted her away. He scowled at her. She giggled.

"Should you really be talking?" He leaned in toward her, picking a carrot out of her hair.

"That was your fault!" she gasped. "You made some of the stew spill when you took it."

"Actually, I think it was when you took it back from me."

"I wouldn't have had to take it back and spill it if you hadn't taken it in the first place!"

"Well," Hector grinned, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back, "I—oof!"

Lyn pealed into laughter as Hector fell over.

Raven rolled his eyes as he watched the blueheaded idiot fall on his head. To think that the man who headed the army argued over a bowl of stew.

"Hey!"

A girl with a head of hair as blue as Hector's sat down beside Raven. She grinned. He looked around him, then realized that she'd spoken to him.

"…Are you talking to me?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I don't see anybody else around here."

"Actually, we're surrounded by about thirty other people."

She gave him a look. "You know what I mean."

"Actually, I don't."

"Then you must be more lightheaded than I thought."

He glared at her. "Did you just come here to bother me?"

"Sorta." She paused, frowning all cutely. "What, you don't want me to bother you?"

"What do you think?"

"Oh, good, I knew you wouldn't mind!" She laughed at his scowl. "Yeesh, I don't recall you being so rude and grouchy the last time I talked to you. I thought you were some uptight and strict guy, like Fiora. Turns out you're just a rude jerk. It's hard to decide which one I like more."

He raised an eyebrow. Had this woman lost her mind? "What are you talking about? This is the first time I'm talking to you."

She frowned, eyebrows furrowing deeply. "What are _you_ talking about? I talked to you earlier today during the battle, remember? I'm Farina, the new Pegasus knight. How can you forget so quickly?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about; this is the first time I've heard of you."

She looked affronted. "What? Surely you must've heard of me; I'm famous for being one of the best Pegasus knights around! There's a reason I'm getting paid 20,000 gold for joining this army, after all!"

Raven's eyes bulged. "20,000 gold?" he exclaimed.

She grinned widely, nodding her head vigorously. "Of course. Only the best get paid so much."

"There's no way that that lout Hector is going to pay you that much."

"He's already paid me my first amount." Her grin widened.

"Wow," Raven muttered, "he really is an idiot."

"You talk about your employer like that?"

"You will too, soon enough. Besides, I don't even work for him."

"Oh? You work for Lord Eliwood?"

"No. I work for nobody."

Farina's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "So you're not getting _paid_?"

"No."

She looked absolutely shocked for a moment, and looked at Raven as if he'd grown three heads. "Then what are you even doing here?" she cried.

He was silent for a moment, looking away. Then he muttered, "I have my reasons."

She was also quiet for a moment. "I can't believe it…some people." She shook her head. She paused, frowning deeply as she realized something. "Wait a second…I thought you were a knight? Surely you must get paid."

He gave her a strange look. "Do you have a screw loose, woman? I'm no knight. I'm a mercenary."

"Hey! There's no reason to talk to me like that! All my screws are tight and secure, thank you very much! But wait a second…I swear you were a knight…" She trailed off, hand to her chin, staring at Raven intently. She gasped suddenly. "I'm talking to the wrong redhead!"

He rolled his eyes and heaved a big sigh. "Wow." He wasn't sure what else to say.

She scowled at him. "Don't look at me like that; I'm not stupid, alright? It's just dark and all you redheads look alike so I thought…"

"We don't all look alike," he argued. "That's like saying that all people with blue hair look alike. So you look like Hector, then."

"Hey! Are you saying that I look like a _man_?" she said incredulously, folding her arms across her chest. He simply smirked in response. She gasped and punched him on the arm, much to his surprise. He glared at her.

"Hey, you're the idiot for getting me mixed up for somebody else!"

"It was an innocent mistake! But calling me a man? That's a completely different story! I ought to hang you up by your toes!"

He raised an eyebrow, resisting the urge to smile. "You want to hang me up by my…toes?"

"You heard me! And I should let Murphy chomp that pretty red hair off your head!"

"Murphy?" Raven frowned deeply. Hopefully Hector hadn't hired some crazy beast man that enjoyed eating people's hair.

"Murphy is my Pegasus."

"Oh. That makes a lot more sense."

"Who did you think he was? A person?"

Raven shrugged. Farina laughed.

"You're funny! You know, you're actually not half-bad; maybe even better than that uptight redhead I'd originally thought you were."

Raven's eyebrows rose. He didn't know if he should've felt annoyed, insulted, or flattered.

Raven didn't have a chance to respond (not that he had much of a response anyway) because somebody called out Farina's name. They both turned to see Florina walking toward them. She was smiling, but when she noticed Raven, her smile faltered slightly and there was a sudden change in the way she walked; she'd been strutting quite confidently toward her sister, but now she slowed, shrinking a little.

"Hey, Sis. You need something?"

"Sorry," she muttered, glancing through her pretty eyelashes at Raven, "I didn't mean to interrupt anything…"

"You're not! Just ignore him." She waved noncommittally at Raven. He scowled at her. "What's up?"

"I-I just wanted to let you know that we set up the tent."

"Oh, great!"

"It might be a bit cramped with the three of us, if that's alright."

Something on Farina's expression flickered. "Fiora's bunking with us?"

"Of course." She paused. "We weren't able to get another tent, and probably won't until we're able to reach Bern, so..."

Farina was biting her lip, looking a little conflicted. She sighed. "I wouldn't mind bunking with you at all, Florina, but Fiora? I'm not so sure about that…"

"Well, you can always bunk with somebody else." Florina's expression fell. "Though it won't be as much fun without you…"

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" She covered her face, only to peek through her fingers. "Oh, fine, I'll bunk with you guys. Stop looking at me like that, though! And this arrangement is only until I get a tent of my own!"

"Yay!" Florina squealed, jumping up like a child. Raven raised an eyebrow, and she instantly withdrew shyly, ducking her face. "I guess you'll come when you're done…?" She looked questioningly toward Raven.

"Yeah, it's fine, we were just…hey! Don't look at her like that!" Farina, once again, slapped Raven on the arm.

"Ow! Stop hitting me!"

"Then stop scowling at Florina like that!"

"Scowling?" He scowled. "I wasn't scowling!"

"Yes you were, and you sure are now! Florina did nothing wrong; don't look at her like she did!"

"Sis," Florina mumbled, embarrassed, "it's fine. He wasn't doing anything wrong."

"Nobody looks at my sis like that!" Farina huffed, puffing out her chest.

"Raven, I never knew you thought of Florina like that!" Everybody was surprised to see Jasmine slide in beside Raven. She was smirking mischievously. "I mean, she is really pretty, so I don't blame you for looking at her…but still! If you're interested in a woman, you don't just look at her like she's a piece of meat! You have to be respectful and gentlemanly."

Farina burst out in a fit of laughter, Florina blushed furiously and looked at the ground, and Raven put a hand to his temple in exasperation.

"It looks like Dart has some competition, now, though, huh?" She wiggled her eyebrows and winked at Florina. She turned even redder, as did her ears and neck. Farina immediately spun around and was on Florina like a hawk.

"Who's Dart?"

"He's just a member of the army," Florina said all too quickly.

"If that's all he is, why are you so red?" Florina would've turned redder if she could've, but since she physically couldn't, she ducked her head and hid her face. "Florina! We have a lot to talk about tonight!" She jumped up. Florina squealed, hid her face behind her hands, and ran off as Farina chased after her, shouting, "Is he rich?"

Raven shook his head. His lips twitched. "Look what you've done, tactician." He looked at her, and his lips twitched even more. It was hard to resist the urge to laugh.

She grinned widely. "Hey, this is inevitably your fault; you shouldn't have been looking at Florina like that in the first place. I would've never thought …you, having an interest in sweet little Florina."

"I'm not interested in her," he growled. "And I wasn't looking at her in _that_ way."

"Oh? Well, you certainly seem to have a way with the ladies. Farina was all over you!"

"She was not." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh yes she was! I saw the way she giggled at everything you said!"

"We argued the entire time, and she kept hitting me."

"You mean hitting _on_ you?" She laughed when he gave her a look. "Oh, I'm just kidding! Why, in sweet St. Elimine's name, would anybody be interested in _you_?"

He scowled even darker. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're not exactly the nicest guy around…or the most patient…and you're certainly not the friendliest. Oh, and you sure aren't—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," he interrupted with a roll of his eyes.

"You are pretty easy on the eyes, though," she mumbled underneath her breath. She peeked at Raven through the corner of her eye. Although she'd mumbled it, it was just loud enough for him to hear. He wasn't sure if she'd done that intentionally or not.

His eyebrows shot up, and he leaned in toward her slightly. She didn't look miffed one bit. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

She turned to him, and her smirk was mischievous, almost…flirtatious. "And if I did?"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was the tactician _flirting_ with him? He was momentarily speechless, rather entranced by that smirk on her face, but he managed to slur, "Then either you've spent one too many days with that green knight or I haven't been getting enough sleep."

She laughed, making her curly hair bounce. She grinned at him, cocking her head. "Perhaps you've been up too many nights thinking about Florina?"

He groaned, slapping a hand to his face. "Will you stop with that nonsense already?"

She laughed and put her hands in the air, in a motion of peace. "Fine, fine." She paused, grinning widely. "I know that it's Farina you're actually after." She burst out laughing when he glared at her coldly. "Oh, I'm just kidding, Raven. Don't be such a grouch; take a joke once in a while." Her blue eyes sparkled humorously.

He merely scowled darker. She smiled cheekily at him.

"And you should consider smiling and laughing more often."

"And you should consider leaving me alone and shouting your mouth more often."

She huffed and folded her arms across her chest, lifting her chin. "If you're going to be so rude, maybe I won't give you it."

He frowned in confusion. "Give me what?"

She smirked slightly, looking at him through the corner of her eye. She fished something out of her pocket. She showed it to him, but he didn't know what was significant about it; it was just a small blue bottle.

"What's that?"

"It's a bottle of Afa's Drops," she replied, looking at him. "Lord Athos gave it to me."

"You've had them for a while, then," he said with raised eyebrows.

"Yes," she admitted. She hesitated. "I just had trouble deciding who to give it to."

He looked up at her. "And you decided to give it to _me_?"

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" she laughed. "But yes, after some thinking, I finally decided to give it to you. Take it."

"…Why me?" he asked as he gently took it.

"You're always saving me, and I figured that this would be a nice way to thank you."

"What does it do?" He twirled it around in his hands, examining it.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Lord Athos said that it 'enhances natural abilities'—whatever that means. But since he gave it to me, it ought to be powerful, right?"

"I don't know," Raven said. She raised her eyebrows. "Maybe this is actually poison."

She laughed. "Oh, so you _can_ make jokes, can't you?" He didn't respond. "Well, I'm pretty positive it's not poisoned. But if you do die, I'll take the blame."

"Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome," she said all too cheerfully. He rolled his eyes. Then, softly, she asked him, "You trust me, right, Raven?"

He looked at her, surprised at the sudden question. "I let you boss me around on the battlefield, don't I?" When she didn't respond, he took a deep breath and answered in all seriousness, "Yes, Jasmine, I unfortunately do trust you."

She playfully swatted him at the 'unfortunately' but aside from that, she was beaming. "Then you should be able to take those Drops without a problem."

He raised an eyebrow. "So it all comes down to trust? Over such a petty thing?"

"Many things come down to trust," she answered. She added a quiet, "unfortunately" afterwards.

He was silent for a moment, watching her. He drew himself up and asked, in the most serious tone, "And do you trust me, Jasmine?"

She looked at him, eyebrows raised so high that they disappeared beneath her hair. She was silent for a few moments, seeming to seriously think over the question, and she finally answered, "Yes. Yes, I do trust you."

"Then you really are denser than I thought."

She gasped and elbowed him, lips pursed. She looked away, chin held up, arms folded. He laughed.

"I was just kidding!" She made no response. "Oh, c'mon tactician, you've been the one who's been joking around and telling me to loosen up!"

Again, she made no response. Raven wasn't sure if she was just doing it to annoy him or if she was actually offended. Before he could apologize (he was actually planning on it, although reluctantly), she extended her hand toward him, although she still didn't look at him. He looked at her curiously.

"Touch my hand."

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You heard me. Just touch it."

He furrowed his eyebrows. Well, that was a strange request. Nonetheless, not wishing to anger her further, he took her hand. He heard her chuckle a little, as if in disbelief. She turned to him, and she was smiling.

"So I really do trust you." She shook her head, as if she couldn't believe what she'd said.

He had no idea what touching her hand had to do with trust, but he decided to loop his fingers through hers. She looked down at their intertwined hands in surprise.

"There," he said softly. "It's a sign of our mutual trust."

She looked up at him with her eyebrows crinkled, her mouth turned up in a small smile. "So are you ready to take those Drops or what?" Her smile turned into a grin, and the grave atmosphere disappeared instantly.

He gave her a calculated look, and then nodded. "Alright." Taking his hand away from hers, he unscrewed the bottle. There was a small syringe connected to the bottle cap, and he squeezed it into the bottle so he could get the blue and thick liquid. He raised the syringe to his mouth, gave Jasmine a look, and squirted into his mouth. It tasted bitter like medicine, and he made a face as he screwed the cap back on. There was no way he was going to drink it all.

"So?" she asked. "How do you feel?"

He paused. "I don't feel any different."

"Maybe it's because you didn't take it all."

"I'll finish it later." He wasn't sure if he was lying or not; he didn't know if he wanted to taste that again.

"At least you're not dead," she pointed out.

"Not yet."

She laughed and stood up. "Then I guess I could only hope to see you tomorrow; if I don't, I do wish you the best of luck in Hell."

"I've experienced enough hell with you," he grumbled, "so I think I can handle it."

"Oh, shut up and go to sleep!" was her way of saying good night. She gave him a little wave as she walked off. He pocketed the Drops, stood up, stretched his limbs, and headed toward his tent. If the Afa's Drops did turn out to be poison, he could only hope that Hell was better than this miserable place.

* * *

><p><em>Hey, long time no see! It's been a while since I updated, I know, but hey, at least I've got it up now! The next update will probably be sometime in late June or July. Probably. Don't take my word for it.<br>_

_Wow, I just realized that it's been a while since I've written my little author's notes. O.o I'm having difficulty deciding what to say! Well, first off, I guess, Raven and Jasmine are kinda getting jealous! Raven's jealous of her interactions with Mark (usually in the battlefield he's stuck with Jasmine, but this time around he wasn't, which was why he didn't really mind Serra since he was too annoyed thinking about those two) and Jasmine's jealous of his interactions with Farina and Florina. You know, I always thought a support conversation between Farina and Raven would've been interesting...seems like it would've been funny, with those two arguing. Oh, and the redhead she got Raven mixed up with was Kent, if you didn't get that. How rude, huh? _

_I think that's enough of my rambling. I trust that you guys can try to deduce some confusing areas on your own, because even though I'd like to, I don't wanna give too much away :P ...And shoot, I just got water on my computer screen. Gotta run! Happy reading!_


	20. Chapter 20

_Yes, people, I'm back after nearly 4 months! I hope you aren't too mad about the wait, but once you read this chapter, I'm sure it would've been worth it (or at least I hope so! :D) Enjoy! __  
><em>

* * *

><p>When Raven stepped out of his tent, he was surprised to see that only a handful of people were also awake: Marcus, Oswin, Lowen, Mark, Rath, and Dorcas. Lowen was stirring up breakfast as Marcus inspected his posture (apparently he was satisfied), Dorcas was shining his ax, Rath was cleaning his bow, and Oswin and Mark were engaged in a quiet conversation.<p>

"Sir Raven," greeted Marcus. "You're up early."

Raven shrugged. His eyes trailed to Mark. The green-clad man smiled slightly and nodded his head in greeting. Raven made no such gesture or greeting in return.

"Will breakfast be ready anytime soon?" Raven questioned Lowen. Lowen looked up. He was in the middle of slicing apples.

"No. It'll be a while."

So it really was early in the morning. Judging by the position of the sun, it was barely passed the crack of dawn. The sky was a hazy pink-orange, and the little tufts of clouds glowed pink.

Yet Raven didn't feel the least bit tired. Quite the contrary, he felt more alert and awake than he had in quite some time. He didn't know why he felt this way, but he didn't mind it all too much. He felt on top of his toes, ready to hop into battle. In fact, since it was so early in the morning…

He walked back to his tent and fished out his sparring sword. As he made his way back to the others, he contemplated whether or not he ought to spar with another; typically he sparred alone or with Bartre (though not willingly). It was a rather impulsive decision when he asked Mark if he would like to spar. The surprise wasn't suppressed by said tactician or the others around him. It was only Rath and Dorcas who looked unaffected, continuing to clean their weapons.

"Why not spar me instead?" offered Marcus. "Surely Sir Mark must be the last person here you ought to spar with."

"And why is that?" questioned Raven, cocking an eyebrow.

Marcus looked baffled. "Because he's a tactician, of course! He doesn't specialize in combat like we do! The best practice would be with a fellow fighter."

Raven looked back at Mark. "Perhaps _he_ could use the practice. After all, an independent tactician must need to learn how to protect himself if the occasion arises, should he not?"

Mark looked amused. "You make a valid point. You need not worry about me, Sir Marcus," he added at the look Marcus gave him when he stood up, "although it's been a while, I do know how to handle a sword."

"Well, it is your decision, Sir Mark," Marcus sighed, clearly against the whole idea. "But don't make me explain to Lady Jasmine as to why you're missing an arm."

He was exaggerating, everyone knew, considering that the sparring swords were wooden and the only damage they could do would be to cause splinters. Nonetheless, Mark chuckled and told the paladin not to worry about it. Then he and Raven set off to the clearing to begin sparring.

"So," Raven said as he tossed Mark a sword, "you do know how to fight?"

"A little," Mark said. "And it's been a considerable amount of time, so bear with me."

The redhead couldn't help a smirk. "Then I'll try to go easy on you."

He stepped forth and struck his sword toward the tactician's stomach, but the attack was easily dodged. Mark slashed his own sword forth and Raven raised his to block the attack. Swiftly breaking the contact, he swung his sword toward Mark's leg and hit him in the shin. Looking annoyed and pained, the tactician jumped back and blocked the next attack. Amused, Raven decided to slow it down. It was going to be fun watching Mark struggle.

He was quite surprised when Mark suddenly charged forth and smacked his shoulder. He suddenly felt annoyed that he would even get hit once by such a foolish opponent, and smacked his sword into Mark's chest. It was harder than it should've been, especially considering Mark's inexperience, and the cloaked man was reeled back. He breathed heavily, eyes wide in surprise. Then his eyes turned into narrow slits. And that was when the real battle begun.

The air grew tense as the men circled each other. Raven dashed forth first, swinging his sword toward Mark's head, but Mark rolled—yes, actually rolled—down into the grass, popped right back up, and struck Raven in the back. Raven's eyebrows jutted up in surprise. That was it. He wasn't going to be so easy on the tactician any longer.

Twirling around, he smacked his sword against Mark's, and they began to duel. They jumped through the grass, swords hitting each other ferociously, eyes trained on each other's every moment as they battled back and forth. Occasionally they broke contact and attempted to strike the other, but they only ended up bringing the swords back together by blocking the attack.

It was with one particular smack that Raven was able to get the sword out of Mark's hand. He swiftly stepped forth and placed his own wooden sword to the cloaked man's throat. Mark raised his hands and chuckled.

"You win."

"Of course I did." He removed the sword from his neck. "I believe I'm the mercenary here." Mark chuckled and nodded. Raven's amber eyes bore into him. "Yet you were quite impressive with that sword…for a tactician."

Mark's face broke into a wide grin. "Are you complimenting me, Sir Raven?"

"It was an observation, not a compliment," he snapped. He narrowed his eyes at him. There was something off about him; about the way he'd carried himself during the battle, about his footwork, his handwork. It had been far too meticulous for a man who only knew how to fight "a little."

Mark noticed the way Raven was staring at him, and slowly began to pace through the grass. His cloak skimmed onto the grass, making it appear like his cloak extended into the grass and that he was dragging it all with him as he walked.

"Is something wrong?"

"I didn't think tacticians could fight."

Mark made a small noise through his nose that sounded like disbelief and perhaps annoyance. "You shouldn't throw all of us in one category like that. Stereotyping all of us tacticians. Of course there are ones that can fight and ones that cannot. We're not all the same."

He had a good point. Yet… "They didn't teach you that in tactician school, then?"

Mark laughed. "Not that I'm aware of." He paused in his stride, and turned to look at Raven. "If you really must know, I learned how to fight when I was young, and continued to learn through my teenage years. I hadn't been exactly bred to be a tactician, you see."

"…Bred?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, bred. That's how I like to think of it."

Raven didn't respond.

"And what of you, Sir Raven?" Raven raised an eyebrow. "Were you bred to be a mercenary?"

"…Can't say I was."

"Well, nobody really is." He shrugged. "Us nobles, though—we usually come from a long line of experienced leaders of war. We're all bound to learn how to battle."

Raven stiffened slightly. _Us_ nobles? What did…?

Mark smiled a little at Raven's expression. He stopped walking and twirled on his heels to face him. "Is there something you wish to say?"

There was a moment of silence. Then, "You intrigue me, tactician."

He laughed. "As do you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"

"Yes. Quite a lot, in fact." He put a finger to his chin and scrutinized Raven as if he was a lab rat. "It almost makes me sad to think that this will be the last time I'll be speaking to you; there was so much more I wanted to discuss with you. Ah, alas, we might see each other again. Who knows what the future holds for us."

Raven raised his eyebrows. "You're done with your little visit with us?"

"Yes, kiddo, I am." He paused and smiled slightly. "That should brighten your day, right?"

"It'll brighten my week. I don't think Jasmine will be particularly ecstatic, though."

"Probably not," chuckled Mark. "But she'll be fine. Better than fine, in fact. That girl, no, that woman…she's grown so much. I see now that she needs me no longer." He paused, and his brown eyes stared hard and straight into Raven's steely amber eyes. "She needs you more than she needs me." He smiled slightly. "Take good care of her." And although the smile was welcoming, his eyes were hard and determined; they read 'hurt her and I kill you.'

Raven furrowed his eyebrows. "What?" Why would he ask him, of all people, to take care of Jasmine?

A knowing, taunting little smirk crossed Mark's features. Much to Raven's annoyance, he didn't respond; instead, he swept up to Raven and stuck out his hand. Raven looked down at it, raised an eyebrow, then slowly extended his own hand and grasped onto Mark's. They shook hands.

"It was a pleasure getting to know you, Sir Raven. May our paths cross again."

"I hope not."

Mark smiled. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Jasmine's wedding isn't too far off in the distant future, and I do intend on making it…"

Raven blinked at him. "What…?"

The tactician grinned widely, gave a little wave, and headed back toward camp to say his goodbyes to Jasmine. Raven stared after him, unsure of whether or not to yell at him and demand for explanations. He decided to opt out of that, and instead twirled his sword around in his hand and began to spar alone.

* * *

><p>"Finally," huffed Serra as she plopped down on her cot. "I haven't had many chances to talk with you lately, Florina. You've been spending so much time with your sisters."<p>

"I-I'm sorry, S-Serra," Florina said shyly, averting her eyes, but then remembering from past 'lessons' with the pink-haired girl that it was rude, she forced herself to make eye contact. Serra smiled. "I-I didn't realize…"

"That's quite alright," she said soothingly. "Besides, with all the attention I get, it must be difficult to talk to me all to myself." Florina smiled meekly. Serra patted her cot. "Come, sit."

"Thank you," she said softly as she sat down beside Serra.

"But your sisters aren't the only ones you've been spending so much time with." A tantalizing smirk crossed her features.

Florina looked genuinely confused. "W-what…?"

"Oh, don't try to act all innocent with me," Serra reprimanded. "You know exactly who and what I'm talking about."

"I-I'm sorry…I…what?"

"I'm talking about a man."

A blush crept along her cheeks. "W-what?"

"A certain pirate, in fact…"

She blushed harder.

"I want you to tell me all about it!" she squealed excitedly.

"T-tell you what?" Florina asked, toying with her fingers, face still red. "I-I don't understand."

She gave her a pointed look. "Oh, c'mon, Florina! I've seen the way you look at him!"

Her face turned even redder. "T-the way I-I look at him…? H-how do I-I l-look at him?" She was worried that she had some silly face on around him, and she certainly didn't want that.

Serra smirked at her question. "Like you absorb everything he says and that he's the only person that exists in the world."

She looked away, embarrassed. "D-do I?"

"Uh-huh. So tell me, Florina, what _is_ going on between you two?" Her voice had become a hushed whisper, her eyes sparkling the way they did when she wanted to hear some juicy gossip.

Florina fidgeted some more with her fingers until she finally looked back at Serra. She looked embarrassed to say anything, but at the same time seemed to be dying to tell someone. "W-well…" She shifted uncomfortably. Her eyes flickered to the tent flap.

"Don't worry," Serra said reassuringly, "everybody's still out there doing…well, who knows." She waved her hand impatiently. "This conversation will stay between you and me. Just us. Nobody else."

"P-promise?"

She raised her right hand and nodded solemnly. "I promise."

Florina seemed a little less uncomfortable, but not by much. Her eyes flickered once more to the tent flap before returning her attention to Serra. "H-he's very nice to me. A-at first I-I thought he w-was intimidating a-and s-scary…b-but o-over time I realized t-that he's actually v-very sweet and f-funny. H-he…" She trailed off, smiling a bit to herself. "He makes me feel happy."

Serra raised her eyebrows; Florina's feelings toward Dart were greater then she'd thought. Then she felt a smile cross her lips. "Yeah, I see that," she said. Florina furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "I've seen you two talk often," she added, "he makes you smile and laugh a lot. I think you're more comfortable around him than most men...am I right?"

Florina smiled weakly. "I wouldn't quite say that, Serra. I...am still learning how to feel comfortable around men." She paused. "I know he means me no harm; in fact, I...I think he is always protecting me from my harm. He saved my life once, did you know? I d-don't even think he remembers…i-it was so long ago. I never even got to thank him…"

"Well this is your chance then, isn't it?" grinned Serra. Florina looked confused. "You can thank him by taking him out on a date!"

Florina's face, neck, and ears turned an outrageous shade of red. "W-What?" she squeaked, louder than usual.

"Well you do like him, don't you?"

"I-I…"

Serra raised an eyebrow and sighed, shaking her head. "Oh, come now, Florina. I knew from the moment that I saw you giggle and interact with him that there was something blooming between you two." She smirked a little. "I'm quite good at this kinda stuff, you know," she huffed. "My intuition is keen! I can name who fancies who off the top of my head!"

"Oh?" Florina asked, a little curious. "Like who?"

Serra smirked widely. "Oh, that's easy. For starters, Lyn and Lord Hector."

"No!" gasped Florina. "They argue all the time!"

"That's a sign of their passion! Trust me, they care about each other, whether either of them wants to admit it or not."

Florina looked as if she was having trouble believing and processing the news, so Serra continued to prove her point,

"I mean, Jasmine and Raven argue all the time too, but it's clear that they also fancy each other!"

Florina's eyes turned as wide as orbs. "That's impossible! They _despise_ each other!" Their arguments were nearly as legendary as Lord Hector and Lyn's!

Serra took great pride in the fact that she could figure all of this out all on her own and impress somebody with her observations. She flipped back her pigtails.

"That's what it looks like at first glance, but when you see them keep at it, you can tell that they actually do care about each other. At first I'd thought there was something between Priscilla and Raven…but something about it was never quite right, you know? Besides, it seems as if Sain's stolen her heart…"

"Sain and Priscilla?" Florina wondered how she had never noticed any of these relationships.

Serra snickered, as if she'd just said something she shouldn't have. "Yeah, unbelievable, isn't it? But I've known for a while Priscilla fancies Sain, it was quite obvious, really. I refused to tell Sain, though, when he asked me if I knew who fancied him." She giggled again like a kid caught doing something bad. "You can't tell him, okay? This is a confidential conversation between just you and me!"

"Alright," Florina replied softly, smiling a little at how much Serra trusted her, and also smiling at the fact that she would even think that Florina would accidentally tell Sain such a thing. Although Sain could be very kind and she'd grown to trust him ever since they'd been in Caelin together, she still tried to avoid him often. He was, after all, a flirt. So she was quite sure that this conversation wouldn't slip out to him.

"As for you and Dart," Serra said with a clear of her throat, getting herself back on track, "you two are just so cute and perfect together!" Florina blushed and looked away. "I mean, he's just so _gentle_ around you...! I was quite sure that he threatened to throw me overboard once, when we were sailing to Valor. I suppose my beauty was too much for him to handle…"

"Really?" Florina giggled a little. "It does sound like something he would do…just as a joke, though!" she added hastily. "He wouldn't have ever actually let you get harmed."

She grinned widely. "Look at you standing up for your man."

Florina blushed furiously. "H-he's not my…my…" She couldn't even say it. She was far too embarrassed to.

"With my help, he will be soon," she replied confidently. Florina looked at her questioningly. "You want to win his heart over, don't you?"

"S-Serra!" she squeaked.

"You like him, don't you? Don't you want him all to yourself? Don't you want to tell him how you feel?"

Florina flustered. "W-well…"

"Don't worry, though, because you've already done half of the work! All we have to do is set you two up on a few dates, maybe—"

"D-dates?" Florina's voice had gone an octave higher. "I can barely _talk _to him; how am I supposed to go on a date with him?"

"I'll help you out," reassured Serra, "but you will need to step out of your comfort zone a little." She paused. "You do like him, don't you?" Not once had the Falcon Knight admitted it. And although Serra knew that Florina was simply too embarrassed to, she had to make sure that she really did feel something toward Dart.

Florina was silent for a moment, twiddling with her thumbs. When she looked up at Serra, she had a silly little smile on her face, a day-dreamy, happy look. "Yes. Very, very much."

Serra felt a wide, genuine smile stretch across her lips. She then squealed in delight, making Florina jump, and clasped her hands together in excitement. "I knew it! Oh, I'm so happy for you!" She embraced Florina's small figure. Although taken by surprise, Florina smiled abashedly and hesitantly returned the embrace.

"Now, first things first. In order to get his attention, we're going to need to spice up your wardrobe a bit…"

* * *

><p>"You seem happy," Raven commented. Priscilla had been smiling like a silly little girl for quite some time now, as she played with something on her wrist. His sister finally turned to him, that happy little smile still plastered softly on her face.<p>

"That's because I am."

He didn't respond immediately. "Well, that's good."

She laughed softly. "Yes, it is. And you? Are you happy?"

"Do I look happy?"

She laughed a little louder. Across the fire, Sain's head turned toward her. "When it comes to you, I can never be quite sure."

He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She giggled. "Well, you must admit that you're not exactly the type of person to put your emotions on show. I know you well enough, though," she added at his deepening frown. "And you do seem quite happy lately."

"Do I?" he mused softly.

"Yes, especially since Mark left." Her eyes glinted mischievously. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't know why you disliked him so much. He was very nice."

Raven rolled his eyes and grumbled incoherently underneath his breath. Priscilla looked amused. "What's that on your wrist? Something bothering you?" he asked, trying to change the subject. It worked, and she looked down at her wrist. She smiled that silly little smile again.

"It's a bracelet." She raised her hand to show him. It was a charm bracelet, and on it was a charm of a feather, a star, a green emerald, and a red rose.

"It's new?" he assumed.

"Yes," she smiled. She hesitated before speaking again. "Sain gave it to me."

Raven stiffened and his eyes narrowed infinitely. Priscilla bristled at his reaction. "I see…"

"What is it?" she asked, her tone a bit sharp. "Something you want to say?"

Her defensiveness caught him off-guard, but it just made him angrier. "Yeah, there is," he snapped. "I think that buying you that bracelet is just his way of trying to charm his way into bed with you."

Priscilla's eyes widened and her mouth fell slightly at his bluntness. "How dare you?" Now that her surprise was gone, she was angry. "That's a terrible thing to say! Sain isn't like that!"

"Oh, he's not? So all this time he hasn't flirted with every single woman in this army?" He feigned innocent surprise. Priscilla's face was set and defensive.

"Just because he's a bit of a flirt doesn't mean that he's the kind of man to take advantage of women, let alone me!"

"Hah! You really still are a child, Priscilla!"

"I am not a child!" she said loudly, earning the pair a few looks. "I know what I'm doing! You just don't understand!"

"Understand? What is there to understand? The man flirts day and night like it's his occupation; you really think that receiving a bracelet makes you different from all the other woman he's wooed?"

Priscilla stood up and looked down at her brother. Her jaw was clenched and her lips drawn in a tight line. Her eyes gave her away, though. They were watery. "You can't understand because you don't know what it's like to be in love!—or love anybody, for that matter!" Raven knew instantly that she was referring to herself, for loving her as a sister. Before he had a chance to think of a response she had run off. He stared after her, dumbfound, as his comrades looked about uncomfortably. Sain, after a sharp glance in Raven's direction, called after Priscilla and chased after her.

It was silent for a long time. Finally, Raven stood up, and, trying to avoid the eyes of his comrades, stepped away from the campfire. He was immediately enveloped into the darkness, and as he strode off, the whispers suddenly sparked.

"What the hell was that all about?"

"Is she alright?"

"What happened?"

Lucius half-stood, looking back and forth to where Raven and Priscilla had departed. Serra was talking to him reassuringly, telling him that Raven simply needed some time to cool off ("He'll just snap at you if you follow him; just let him be.") and that Sain would take good care of Priscilla.

"Lucius," a voice said softly from beside him. He turned to see a confused and worried Jasmine. Her eyes were frantically searching his. He knew the question that lay behind her baby blues: should she go after him? Lucius knew that it was Raven she was concerned about.

"Go," he said, his voice barely a whisper, as he gave a small nod in the direction Raven had left. Smiling a little, she brushed passed him and disappeared into the darkness.

"This army just has too much damn drama," Hector groaned.

~x~x~x~

"Raven!" The redhead stopped abruptly. That wasn't Lucius's voice. He stood still as he heard the footsteps near him. The footsteps slowed and the heavy breathing grew louder. "Raven." Her voice was now a soft whisper, and he felt fingers gently touch his arm.

"What do you want?" he growled, probably much harsher than he should've asked, considering that she was worried enough to come chasing after him. He didn't try to get away from her touch, however.

"I want to know if you're alright." She didn't seem affected by his harsh tone.

He snorted. "What's it matter to you? I thought you thrived off my despair."

This comment made her even more concerned. She walked around so that they would be facing each other. "Don't say that." She paused, smiling a little. "I only enjoy it when I'm the cause of your torture."

His eyes met hers. His mouth curved upward for a second.

"...Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked softly, and his half-smile disappeared.

"No."

She chuckled lightly as she shook her head. "I thought you'd say that, but I had to make sure."

"...Why didn't you check on Priscilla first?" It puzzled and intrigued him; why would she come after him instead of her?

She hesitated a moment before speaking. "She's already got people watching after her." He wondered if she meant Sain by 'people', and had purposely avoided his name. "You, though..." She trailed off, seeming to have difficulty choosing how to phrase her words. "I think you need me."

His eyebrows shot up.

_She needs you more than she needs me._

That old tactician seemed to have gotten that backwards.

She took his silence as a cue for her to continue, so she did. "I mean, I know you enjoy being alone, and probably think that I'm just being annoying and in the way right now, but...but sometimes you need a little push, and I'm giving you a push. I don't know what happened between you and Priscilla, and I'm not saying that I want to intrude, but—"

"I think you heard the last bit of our conversation," he grumbled. "I'm sure the entire army did."

She looked at him sadly, and he looked away. He didn't like being looked at like that. "Raven," she murmured. She seemed to have trouble saying what was coming next as she said, "I know I shouldn't be saying this, because Priscilla is such a sweetheart, but don't listen to what she said. I think...I know you're capable of love; I know you're not really black-hearted, no matter how heartless you sometimes act." He raised an eyebrow. She couldn't help a smirk. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

"So this is your way of trying to counsel an upset man, hmm?" he said softly after a moment. "It might've worked for men who had actually taken offense by Priscilla's words; I, however, do know that I'm not entirely heartless." He smirked slightly. "You might need to work on your counseling skills."

She gaped at him. "I-I can't believe you! I came all this way and you just—argh, I give up!"

She made a move to walk away but he grasped onto her wrist, twirling her back around. Her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I'm just teasing you, woman! No need to get your skirt in a bunch." He laughed as she narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms across her chest, apparently offended. "Fine, fine." His voice softened. "Thank you for being concerned enough to come after me."

"Of course," she said, softening as well. "I'm always here for you, Raven..." She gently placed a hand on his arm, "...whether you want me here or not." She finished with a smirk.

"Always?" His voice was slightly teasing and playful, yet held an undertone of serious concern.

"Always."

"Then stay with me just a moment longer..." He trailed a finger along her scar, stopping at her lips. Her breaths began to quicken as he cupped her face in his hands. He looked deep into her eyes, and though he saw a hint of nervousness and apprehension, he knew that she trusted him. He leaned in down toward her, eyes starting to close—

"Raven?"

They both froze and turned to see a figure walking toward them. As the lantern was raised to the figure's face, both Raven and Jasmine's mouths fell open in surprise. It was Sain heading toward them. Raven hastily tore himself away from Jasmine, and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Jasmine?" Sain said in disbelief as he stopped in front of them, lantern extended out toward them. She turned to him, her expression one of surprise and perhaps hurt? Sain's eyes flashed toward Raven. "Is everything alright?" His voice was gravelly and dangerous.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Sain," Jasmine said reassuringly. She smiled meekly.

"Are you sure?" He looked at her now, his voice softening. She nodded.

"Yes, really. Thanks for your concern." She reached out and gave his arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "What are you doing out here?"

"I came here looking for him..." He trailed off, his voice suddenly taking a dangerous tone. He stiffened, his lips drawing into a tight line as he looked back at Raven.

"Ah," she said softly, "I see. Then I guess I best be off. Don't stay up too late, you hear me?" She teased, trying to diffuse the tension, but to no avail. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"We won't be long, winter flower." Sain's voice was barely a whisper in the wind. She hesitated before smiling at him.

"Good night." She gave Raven a backwards glance before heading back toward camp. A moment of silence lapsed between the two men before Sain spoke, and his voice was barely contained outrage.

"What the hell did you say to make Priscilla cry?"

Raven felt his anger bubble instantly. Jasmine was no longer around to reel him in, so he let it go unleashed.

"None of your damn business," he snapped in reply.

"It very well is my business!"

He arched an eyebrow high. "And what makes you say that?"

"I care about Priscilla," he said softly, but it was a deadly soft, "I care about her a lot. And I really don't like the way you treated her."

"The way I treated her?" he repeated incredulously. He took a step forth so that their chests bumped lightly. "You better not be telling me that I mistreat Priscilla."

"You made her cry!" Sain roared, leaning down so that they were nose-to-nose. "Maybe you don't have feelings, but she certainly does, and you caused her a great deal of pain! So yeah, I damn well am accusing you of mistreating her!"

What happened next caught them both off-guard; Raven's fist collided hard against Sain's nose, causing Sain to go reeling back. Blood gushed out his nose and trickled down his lips and chin. His eyes flashed dangerously as he slowly wiped the blood off with the back of his hand.

"You can accuse me of anything for all I give a damn—go ahead, accuse me of being heartless, see if I care—but don't you ever, don't you _ever_ accuse me of mistreating my sister."

"But you _do_ mistreat her; you try to control her like your puppet, even tho—" He cut himself short suddenly, eyes wide. "Y-your sister…?"

Raven felt all his energy, all his anger, drain away. His face paled and hardened. The implications of his words, shouted out in his irrational mind, had cost him greatly. For a moment he simply swayed there, unable to move, the possibilities of consequences flying through his head.

Then, finally, he moved, sweeping past Sain, only pausing to hiss,

"Just stay away from her."

And then he was gone.

* * *

><p><em>So, yeah, a lot kinda happened. Mark leaves, people are starting to notice Jasmine and Raven's relationship, Raven nearly kissed Jasmine (what the hell was that interruption for, Sain?) and oh yeah, Priscilla and Raven get in a huge fight that inevitably ends up blowing up their entire undercover-sibling-relationship. Whew. Now that's a mouthful. I suppose this is a bit more of a dramatic chapter (well, at the end, anyway) and also more on the romantic side. And this is just the beginning. Shit's about to go down soon.<br>_

_Now, ahem, as for my updating schedule...I honestly have no idea when I will be able to publish next. I seriously, SERIOUSLY, need to get started on my college research and applications and yadda yadda yadda. School's starting in less than 2 weeks, and I'm really, really, screwed. Now I'm not trying to be a whiny little bitch and complain right now, it's just that I probably won't work on stories for a while after this is published. 'Cause I really, REALLY, have to start focusing on school. I'll just say that now. Maybe after apps I will be home-free...but that won't be until late December. I'm not sure how much free-time I'll have on my hands once school starts, but if it takes too long, I'll let yah know with an author's note when the next chapter will be ready. Alright?_

_Love you all. Thank you all for your great reviews. They always motivate me and make me wanna keep on writing. Heck, this chapter was basically published now because I didn't want to disappoint you guys; and after Guest asked me when I was going to update next, I decided I should just do it now. I didn't want to keep you all waiting in anticipation. I WILL complete this story; I simply refuse to let it hang limp and die off. So keep all those great reviews coming, guys! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're all the best!_


	21. Chapter 21

The rumors had spread like wildfire. People would whisper about it, their backs turned, their lips hidden behind their hands.

"Did you hear?" they would say. "About Raven and Priscilla?"

"It's not true," some would argue. "It's just a crazy rumor."

"Oh, but it is," others would respond vigorously. "Just think about it! They've always been so close! It makes so much sense!"

Some would silence at that reasonable explanation, while others would continue to argue against it.

Raven wasn't sure how it'd all gotten out of hand. Obviously that damned green knight had told somebody about it, and that somebody told somebody else, and on it went until the entire army had heard about it. It was ridiculous, really. The way the girls would glance his way as they whispered into each other's ears reminded him of grade school. So immature. So childish. So damn annoying!

It had been well over a week since that night when Raven and Priscilla had gotten in a fight, and neither had spoken to each other since. Lucius insisted that they apologize and mend their wounds, but Raven ignored him. He didn't believe that he had wronged her in anyway; what he'd said was true and valid. He didn't care if he was the older one, if he was supposed to be the one that had to apologize ("your sister learns a lot from you. Set a good example for her," his father had often said). If they were going to get along again, _she_ was going to apologize to _him_.

He did know, however, that it was his fault that their relationship was under scrutiny. He saw the way that the girls would try to corner Priscilla. He saw the glances that went her way. She deserved none of it.

Raven sighed quietly, leaning his head back against the tree. He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. It was nice to be away from the chatter of the camp. To avoid the searing eyes burn into his back. Raven was alone more often nowadays, keeping to his tent and leaving only when he had to, before retreating back to it. He didn't want to deal with all the whispers.

There were a few that treated him as if nothing had happened. Wil, Rebecca, and Dorcas were among the handful. He was grateful for them, though he would never dare admit it. At least some people were still in their rightful minds.

But one particular person treated him in a way that drove him insane. That damned tactician. She hadn't spoken to him since that night either, and he had absolutely no idea why. She'd blatantly avoided him; whenever he approached her, she would excuse herself and run off before he had a chance to catch her. He wasn't sure what the hell was going on with her. It irritated and worried him.

He was beginning to think that perhaps she didn't...that she hadn't felt comfortable with the idea that he'd been about to kiss her. He hated thinking about it, because he too had to rethink about why he'd been about to in the first place. In all honesty he knew why he'd been about to…but he didn't want to admit it, not even to himself. It was crazy! Him, with the tactician? It was absurd! That good-for-nothing tactician with her snarky comments, her glares, her ignorance. Damn her and her tantalizing smirk, her playful and witty remarks, and her alluring raise of the eyebrow. Gah! Damn it!

Growling to himself, he buried his face in his hands. He needed to get a hold of himself! Going crazy over a girl? Let alone _that_ girl?

Sighing deeply, he raised his head and looked up to the sky, wondering if the answers lay there…

* * *

><p>"Lord Raven."<p>

"Lucius."

"You've got to stop this."

"Stop what?"

Lucius gave him a stern look. Sighing, Raven put down his book and sat up to face the blonde.

"It's been long enough, and you know it."

"She needs to apologize to me first."

He sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. "You're acting very immature about this."

Raven rolled his eyes. "I don't care."

"But don't you care what about the rumors that have spread? People are beginning to question your relationship."

Raven was silent for a moment, blankly staring at the open page in his book. "I don't care what they say, but it does worry me that they're going to figure it out." He paused. "Figure it all out." What if Matthew had told everyone that he was actually Lord Raymond of the fallen house of Cornwall? What if he'd taken the Sain's words as the truth, and figured out that Priscilla really was her sister? They'd worked so hard to keep their relationship a secret, but now it was all pouring out.

"You should tell them yourself," Lucius said softly, "before it gets out of hand."

Raven rolled his eyes and snorted. "And what should I say? 'Oh, by the way, I'm actually Raymond, and I wanted to kill Lord Hector, and did I mention that my long-lost sister is actually Priscilla?' Who do you recommend I ought to confess to first?"

"I don't know, my lord," Lucius sighed, "but this secret's been going on long enough. It's time you've come clean." When Raven said nothing, he continued, "Besides, is it really such a bad thing to let them know the truth? You've no intention of hurting Lord Hector anymore; your quest for vengeance is over, is it not? What's so bad about letting them know that you are, indeed, siblings of the House of Cornwall?"

"It makes it seem like we've been living a lie this entire time!" he hissed. "They won't trust us anymore! We'd be thrown out of the army! And what then? What shall my sister do? Where shall she go? With no gold? No family to return to? Pray tell, Lucius, what do you recommend we do when they disown us?"

Lucius fidgeted with his robes. "I…I'm not sure, my lord, but I'm sure that's not what would happen, and even if it did we would find a way—"

"We've been traveling in this army for well over a year; wouldn't you find it strange and suspicious that we hadn't admitted that we're siblings?"

"But if you explain to them why you did that, I'm sure the lords would be understanding."

"Understanding? Pah! Not everyone around these parts are as forgiving and understanding as St. Elimine. They would probably think that we've been plotting to take over Ostia and build another Cornwall—hell, they'll have us thrown in jail for conspiracy!"

"But none of it's true, so that would never happen!"

"Not true, perhaps, but they'll believe so!"

"Oh, you're being ridiculous," Lucius snapped. "You're just scared of admitting the truth, aren't you, Lord Raymond?"

He bristled and stood up. "I'm not scared," he growled, looking him dead in the eye.

"Then why haven't you confronted your sister, Lord Hector, or even Lady Jasmine? Oh, yes, I've noticed," he added at the shocked expression Raven wore. He instantly shut his mouth and narrowed his eyes.

"Because…because…" He found himself more flustered than angry. He sighed. "Because I don't want things to get worse than they are." It was true. Although things were a bit rocky at the moment, they weren't terrible; they were still in the army, they were still alive and well.

Lucius softened. He took a step toward his lord, gently placing a hand on his arm. "Leaving things as it is will only make it worse. Trying to fix them, now, that's a start."

"But what if I'm unable to fix them? What then?"

"You won't know until you try, my lord," he said quietly. Raven was silent for a moment, contemplating.

"I need time to think," he said softly. "I'll be out for a bit." He made as if to brush past Lucius, but paused, turning to him sideways. "Thank you for always being there for me, Lucius."

Lucius smiled. "Of course, my lord."

He at least attempted to smile weakly back at him before exiting the tent. It was pitch black and freezing outside. Raven shivered, folding his arms across his chest. Nobody was awake now, aside from those on guard duty. He walked passed them (they nodded dutifully to him), silently cursing himself for not bringing a cloak, and walked through the brush to a clearing.

He sighed softly, forming a little cloud of breath in the air. He furrowed his eyebrows as he noticed small flakes fall around him. He extended his hand and watched as a snowflake landed on his hand and melted away.

Damn, was it cold.

He heard the noise of boots crunching against frozen grass, and immediately he whirled around, hand going to his hip. He cursed himself as he realized that he'd removed his belt, with all his weapons, and left it in his tent. He was silent for a moment, holding his breath, eyes racing every which way. He saw a flash of movement from behind a bush. He pressed his back against a tree, breathing softly, and turned his head to the side ever so slightly.

He wondered if he ought to return to camp and alert the night guards. Obviously whoever this was wasn't on their side—he would've showed himself by now. But, being weaponless, Raven would either have to surprise and fight the villain with his bare hands or creep away to alert the guards. With only such little time left, he had to make his decision quickly, and act upon it.

Hearing the boots crunch against the ground again, he made his decision in a heartbeat. Pouncing off the tree, he flung himself toward the bush. Jumping over it, he rolled around and twirled to face his enemy, fist raised.

Brown curls flew as the defender turned. Baby blue eyes widened in alarm and fright.

"Oh," Raven said, relaxing instantly. "It's just you."

Jasmine scowled at him. "I wish I could feel as relieved as you do." She visibly relaxed, though, unclenching her fists and relaxing her posture. "You scared me half to death!"

"I thought you were an assassin of the Black Fang, or something of the sort," Raven explained, standing up and brushing the dirt off of himself.

"That's what I thought _you_ were! You should've said something!"

"You would've hidden from me anyway, even if you'd known it was me."

She clamped her mouth shut. He shook his head and let out an amused "huh" underneath his breath. He walked out of the bush and into the clearing. He stood facing the sky, his back faced to her. He was silent, allowing her a chance to speak. She didn't, but instead of continuing, he waited it out. She could be silent for only so long. He knew that it would get on her nerves.

Soon he heard the sound of rustling and crunchy footsteps approach him. He turned to face her expectantly. For a brief second he caught her looking at him longingly, with a hint of an apology in her eyes. But in an instant it vanished and her expression became hard and cold.

"So what if I've been avoiding you?" she asked defensively. "What's your point?"

"What's _your_ point? That's what I'm trying to figure out."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What does that even mean?"

He rolled his eyes impatiently. "Why have you been ignoring me these past few weeks?"

She looked away. Moments passed in silence. Raven's eyes began to sting from the cold, and the snow fell harder.

"Well?"

Closing her eyes, she took a long, deep breath. When she finally opened her eyes, she averted her gaze from his.

"It's about that night," she said quietly, "I…I feel like you're ashamed and embarrassed of me."

He raised an eyebrow. "I was about to kiss you; what makes you think that that means I'm ashamed of you?"

She bristled a little at the word 'kiss.' "You recoiled away from me when Sain came. It was as if you didn't want to be caught…kissing _me._"

"I can't believe it. _This_ is why you've been avoiding me all this time?" He almost felt like laughing and rolling his eyes. She'd been worried about absolutely nothing! "I was just surprised! That's it! I wasn't ashamed or embarrassed or anything!"

She didn't look convinced, however, and seemed irritated that he found the matter amusing. "Then why didn't you just…" She struggled to the find the right word. "Continue?"

He couldn't help a smirk. "I didn't know that you wanted to kiss me so badly." She turned scarlet. "But I can continue right now, if you'd like."

He took a step toward her, but she raised her hand. He stopped and frowned.

"If you weren't embarrassed, then you would've just kissed me anyway."

He sighed in exasperation. He didn't understand why she was arguing a useless point. "I was distracted. The last thing on my mind was to recall that I was about to kiss you."

She frowned. "But—"

"Oh, that's enough!" he snapped. He'd run out of patience and was sick of her talking circles around him. "Is this just some excuse because you don't feel about me the way I feel about you? Because if that's the case, I'm pretty damn disappointed that this is the best thing you can come up with."

Her eyebrows jutted up. "No, it's not some excuse!"

"Really? Because that's what it seems like."

"It's not."

"Then what is it?" She simply stood there with her mouth agape, her finger raised as if to make a point. "Yeah. That's what I thought." He turned as if to leave, but she grabbed onto his arm, turning him back to her. He glared at her, and she fiercely stared back at him.

"I need to know why, Raven."

"No, Jasmine, _I_ need to know why!" he snapped, leaning in toward her face. "What the hell's been going on with you?"

"I've been avoiding you because I'm confused, alright?" she shouted, releasing her grip on him and throwing her hands up in the air. "Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" He raised his voice to match hers.

"Why were you about to kiss me?" she shouted. It suddenly became silent. The snow fell even harder, accumulating on their hair and making the grass white. The wind howled in their ears, whipping against their faces.

"You better be joking right now."

"I'm not."

Raven gritted his teeth. "I thought tacticians were supposed to be smart."

"Oh, just make your damn point," she snapped.

"Dammit, Jasmine, I can't believe how...how..." He clenched his fists in frustration, struggling to find the right word, "how _ignorant_ you can be sometimes!"

She furiously glared at him. "Ignorant?" she hissed indignantly. "How am I ignorant?"

"You're even ignorant about being ignorant!"

She growled in frustration. "Why don't you just make your point?"

"My point is that you don't get my point—"

"Raven!" she shouted in frustration, stomping her foot. Her cloak flew about her as the wind billowed against them.

"Oh, don't you get it?" he bellowed. "I love you!"

She suddenly went silent, her posture fixed and frozen. He stood where he was, his chest heaving, his eyes burning with ferocity.

Her face had gone stark white, whiter than the snow on her cloak, and her expression was completely blank. She stood there rigidly, oblivious to everything around her.

"...Jasmine?" he asked softly, his anger quickly dissipating into worry as he stared at her. He took a few steps toward her. Her eyes flickered back to life, and she took a loud, shaky breath. He slowly extended his hand, gently brushing his fingers across her cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut briefly before opening, and in her eyes were a torrent of emotions: apprehension, yearning, worry, fear. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes appeared to be searching his. Silently, she rested her hand against his, where it lay on her cheek. She took a shuddering breath, closing her eyes again briefly. Growing more concerned, he brushed his fingers through her hair. She opened her eyes and fixed them on him. She seemed conflicted and desperate.

"I have to go," she finally said, releasing his hand and taking a step back. His eyebrows furrowed.

"Go where?"

"Anywhere but here," she whispered, taking more steps back. Her chest began to rise and fall quicker and quicker. "I need to be alone."

With that, she turned on her heels and began to sprint away.

"Wha—Jasmine!" he called after her, hand outstretched.

But she didn't look back, and disappeared from his view.

* * *

><p><em>Hey guys. Three months too long, huh? I've actually had the majority of this chapter done for a week now, and I'd been intending on making it longer, but I actually split it into two so that it flows better. And I could also update it quicker. Heh.<br>_

_Even though it's a short chapter, some preeeetty important things occurred. All loose ends will be tied up in the next chapter. _


	22. Chapter 22

"Jasmine." Eliwood grasped firmly onto her arm, looking at her solemnly. "We don't know what to expect at the Water Temple. Gather up a few of our comrades, just in case."

She nodded firmly. "We'll meet you there." He nodded at her and turned around, quickly chasing after the other two lords. Jasmine jogged the other way. She wasn't sure how she quite felt about the entire situation—of Nino and Jaffar—but she leaned more towards Hector's side concerning Jaffar. She certainly didn't trust the man. She wasn't sure if she didn't trust him enough to leave him to die…but she knew she couldn't do that to Nino. She was just so young and innocent. She still had so much more time left in her life to spend it well.

Jasmine stopped at their camp, slightly out of breath. Marcus and Oswin, on night guard and also awaiting their lords, immediately shot up from their positions.

"Jasmine!" Marcus ran to her side. "What is it? What's wrong? Where are the lords?" Oswin caught up to them.

Jasmine looked up, still breathing heavily. "They followed after…Nino and Jaffar…to the Water Temple. I need to…gather up a small crew…just in case."

Marcus nodded. "Understood. Just give me the word and I'll gather them up for you."

Jasmine straightened up, glancing around the quiet camp. Everyone had already gone off to bed since it was so late. "Legault. I need Legault." He might prove helpful, since he'd been a member of the Black Fang. She paused, pondering about who else to bring along. She knew she would need to bring a variety of people because they didn't know what lay ahead of them. "And…I need Louise, Canas, Serra, Farina, Dorcas…Harken, Heath, and…you, Marcus."

He nodded dutifully. "I'll alert the others of the news."

"I'll help," Oswin said. The two split off to wake the people that Jasmine had just named off. Jasmine dashed to her tent to retrieve her maps (in case it showed the Water Temple, even though she highly doubted it), and came back in time to see most of her comrades gathered about. The noise had awakened many of the other army members.

"What's going on?" Rebecca murmured, stifling back a yawn.

"Don't worry about it. Just go back to sleep," Jasmine replied gently.

"That didn't answer her question!" Serra huffed, folding her arms across her chest. She was covering her nightgown with a long lacy white cloak. "I would like to know why my beauty sleep has been disturbed!"

"We've got a battle coming up—probably, anyways. I need to bring some of you guys with me to fight."

"Why couldn't you have brought Priscilla or Lucius with you?" Serra grumbled grouchily. "I'm exhausted!"

"We all are," Dart snapped at her. His usual bandana was gone from his head, and his brown hair was a mess. There was no hiding the irritation in the pirate's expression—clearly he didn't appreciate the sudden wake up call, and Serra's complaints were only further aggravating him. "Now quit complaining like a baby!"

Serra gaped at him. "That is not a way to speak to a lady!"

"Then good thing I ain't speakin' to one," he snapped. Farina snickered.

"We don't have time for this," Jasmine cut in, taking a step in front of Dart before Serra had the chance to smack her healing staff against him. "We need to go. Now."

"I'm going with you," Matthew said instantly, stepping toward Jasmine. She furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"No, you're not. I already have Legault; I have no need for—"

"I'm going with you," he repeated. His eyes were steely and his voice had grown more dangerous. She raised her eyebrows.

"I said _no_," she said sharply. Her patience was gone, and their time was running out. "Don't make me say it again." He narrowed his eyes at her, his jaw tightening. She turned her attention to Legault, who had his eyebrows raised at Jasmine. "Do you know the way to the Water Temple?"

"Like the back of my hand."

"Good. Let's get going, then." She glanced at Matthew for a second before looking away. He glowered at her, and took a few steps away as the group assembled themselves.

"We'll try not to have too much fun without you," Legault called out to Matthew as he jumped on the back of Heath's Wyvern. Matthew glared at him viciously. Legault grinned down at him as Hyperion took off the ground, followed by Farina and her Pegasus.

"We'll be back soon," Jasmine said to the others as she perched herself behind Marcus on his horse. Everybody was going either by horseback or were flying in order to get to the Temple quicker.

Her eyes were searching the camp as if she was looking for somebody, and there was a hint of disappointment in her expression when she apparently couldn't find him. She turned around and looked straight ahead as Marcus ushered his horse forth.

Raven poked his head out of his tent, and he took a step out when he saw the group leaving. Lucius exited the tent after him, eying Raven worriedly.

"Lord Raven," he said softly, "are you alright?"

Raven didn't respond immediately. He sighed softly, tilting his head back toward Lucius. "No."

"They'll be fine," Lucius reassured, knowing that Raven was worried about Jasmine's safety since she was out of his sight and care. "They're all skilled soldiers; she'll be safe."

Raven turned back to watch the group disappear from his view. "I don't know, Lucius. I just don't have a good feeling about this one."

And he stayed out of his tent well after they had departed, still staring off in the direction they had left in.

* * *

><p>Marcus's horse let out a sharp neigh as one of its hooves fell into the water.<p>

"Whoa, boy!" Marcus tugged on its reigns, reeling it back on the pathway, and soothed it by petting its mane.

"It's too cramped around here!" Serra shouted in frustration, struggling to heal Hector as lightning flashed around her. "Jasmine, do something!"

"What d'you expect me to do?" Jasmines shouted back heatedly. "Ask Sonia if she could kindly stop flowing the damn place with water?" Angrily, she surveyed the area. As if hearing her request, a new pathway emerged from the water, leading to the archers that had been sending ballistae arrows their way. "Lyn! Eliwood! Canas! Head down that new pathway!" she ordered immediately, pointing in its direction. "Everyone else try dispersing more—Marcus and Hector, stay in the back—Harken and Louise, I'm going to need you to head back to deal with those Wyvern riders."

It was hectic, to say the least. Pathways would appear and soon disappear, more and more enemies kept approaching, and not a single pathway leading toward Sonia herself had risen. It was difficult trying to keep a safe distance from one another when the pathways barely allowed enough room to do so.

Jasmine sighed in frustration, running her fingers through her hair. She took a few steps back to survey the area and her comrades. Even though she had brought along barely a handful of soldiers with her, their fighting was, as always, exceptional. It never ceased to amaze her how strong and persistent her comrades were.

She thought she saw something move in the corner of her eye, and she turned in time to watch a sword fall upon her. It struck her in the shoulder blade and dragged across her chest, leaving a long and deep red gash. Her shirt quickly became drenched in her blood. She let out a surprised shriek of pain, staggering back. Pain shot through her like knives constantly stabbing her.

The myrmidon made a little 'tsk'ing noise. "Leaving a harmless tactician unattended?" He sounded amused. "I think you need to work on your tactic skills more, young one." He stepped toward her. She tried to take a step back, but found her foot in water. "Too bad you'll never have the chance."

And he stabbed her in the stomach.

She inhaled sharply, her eyes wide in shock and pain, and let out an ear piercing scream when he yanked the sword roughly out of her. Blood splattered everywhere.

Everything around her was becoming blurry and moving in slow-motion. The shouts of her name were lost in the pounding of her ears. She reeled back in pain—the ground beneath her feet was replaced by water, and she found herself falling into it with a splash. A long trail of red followed her as she continued to sink through the once-clear water.

It barely registered in her brain or body that she'd just hit the water—the pain had overtaken any thoughts of that whatsoever. It bit into every part of her body, making her want to scream and scream until she could no more. Her eyes stung as the cold water entered them, and her lungs were beginning to hurt from holding her breath. She wondered if she could try swimming back, but she didn't have the strength in her to do so. So she stayed limp, tilted her head back, and watched the trail of blood she was creating.

It was over. Done with. She knew she was going to die. So she didn't struggle. She just let the water take her deeper and deeper. As her vision darkened and her chest began to swell her immense pain, she wondered when the entire 'life flashes before your eyes' nonsense was supposed to happen. Then she realized she didn't want to relive most of her life—it was only the memories that she had since she'd first met Mark that really mattered to her.

_He was a gentle-looking man, unlike the armored soldiers he was surrounded by. He stepped out toward her, extended a gloved hand, and smiled warmly. _

_ "I won't hurt you," he promised. "In fact, I want to help you."_

_ She eyed his hand warily._

_ "You can trust me." He stayed put, still leaving his hand outstretched.__ She looked up into his eyes and slowly took the hand he offered._

From that day on, her life had changed. And although it had been Mark that had rescued and helped her, Jasmine could also think of another person who had greatly influenced her life.

_"Are you awake?"_ _She was a pretty girl with long green hair and forest green eyes. Her smile was welcoming and kind. "I found you unconscious on the plains."_

Without Lyn, Jasmine wasn't sure where she would be right now.

She paused. If she hadn't met Lyn, perhaps she wouldn't be falling to her death right now. But even if she could rewind time, she wouldn't change a thing. She would still do the exact same things she'd done since she'd met Lyn. She had regrets about the choices she'd made in life, of course she did. But she didn't regret this experience. She never would. The past three years had been an adventure she wouldn't give up for the world. She'd grown so much—she'd made friends, she'd learned how to be more trusting, she'd learned how to stand up for herself, and she'd even learned how to have a little more fun. Yes, she was proud of herself and how far she'd come. It might have been all over now, but it had been great while it had lasted.

She noticed a blob of black heading her way, and wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her. Then she realized that it was Death coming to take her away. One last memory flashed before her eyes:

_Jasmine tried not to snicker as she took a peek out from behind the tree. Raven was standing a few feet in front of her, looking every which way. There was a snowball in his gloved hand._

_Snowballs were flying through the air as giggles and shouts echoed throughout the camp. The army was having a snowball fight (which had initially begun with only a few people, until said people accidentally began hitting others, and soon enough the entire army had gotten involved), and Raven was trying to get Jasmine back for smacking a snowball into his face. Little did he know that she was hiding right behind him._

_He found out a moment later when she pounced on him from behind. He was knocked down into the snow-covered ground, face-flat, as Jasmine howled into laughter. He sat up, and she laughed even harder at his deep scowl and furrowed eyebrows. His hair had become white from the snow, and his clothes was covered in it. _

_"You cheated," he growled, wiping snow off his shoulders. _

_"Did not!" she huffed defensively. Snowflakes accumulated in his corkscrew curls. "I just used a different tactic."_

_He scowled even deeper. He stayed where he was, still sitting on the ground, fingering the snow. She stared at him, thinking about how much his red hair and eyes stood out from the white all around them. He looked exceptionally handsome._

_"Well, if you want to play that way..." Jasmine never had the chance to react; he tossed a handful of snow at her, leaving her covered in it. _

_"Hey!" she shouted after him as he ran off. He stopped, looked over his shoulder, and gave her a wicked smirk._

_"Just using a different tactic," he teased._

_ And he ran off with his hands over his head as Jasmine began to assault him with snowballs._

Jasmine smiled a little to herself. That had been a fun day.

She wondered what he would say to her if she had the chance to see him again. He would probably roll his eyes and scold her. "If you'd been paying attention to your surroundings," she could almost hear him saying, "you wouldn't have been in that position!" She wished she could hear his voice again, even if it was just to yell at her, and see that angry scowl just once more…

But she knew her time was up.

She took one final, deep breath that caused her lungs to fill up with water and her heart to feel as if it was being compressed by a thousand rocks. As she closed her eyes, only one name and face clouded her vision.

_Raven…_

And then everything went black.

* * *

><p><em>That'll be the end of my story. Thank you all for—<em>

_Oh, I'm just messing with you! No, this story is not over yet! I still have about 5 more chapters, maybe more, and the next one will be about as short as this one but even more important. _

_Now I know it seems like Jasmine probably should've died quicker (wow that sounds terrible!). What I mean is that it seems like she's underwater and also bleeding for quite some time, but yet she has enough time to think about her life and whatnot. But time it actually going by much quicker than it seems like to her, so she's actually not underwater for that long of a time—not even a minute. Just wanted to clear that up.  
><em>


	23. Chapter 23

She opened her eyes, and all she saw was darkness.

She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again to make sure that her eyes were actually open. Panic seized her as she realized that her eyes really_ were_ open. Had she gone blind?

Her panic dissipated as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and were able to make out the faint outlines of objects. She relaxed and briefly closed her eyes again. Her eyebrows scrunched up in pain as she became increasingly aware of the pounding in her head and the dryness of her throat. Her blue eyes flashed open again as another moment of panic seized her.

Questions exploded in her head: Where was she? Was she dead? What had happened?

She tried to sit up, but a sharp wave of pain rolled through her. She collapsed right back onto what appeared to be a bed. She hissed slightly, squeezing her eyes tight. Now that _hurt_. Her body was aching as if she'd been running for days and days without resting. Especially her ribs, which felt as if they were broken. Gently, she placed a hand against her ribs, lifting her shirt, and felt the area bandaged.

The faint sound of rustling caught her attention. Startled, she turned her head toward the source of the sound and saw the faint outline of something moving. A lump formed in her throat. Her eyes darted every which way in the hopes of finding a way of escaping, but she knew that even if she found one, she was in far too much pain to move. Her hand grasped onto the blanket that had been placed over her. Perhaps she could surprise the intruder and then scream for help. But could she even scream? Her throat felt so constricted and dry she wasn't sure if she could even speak.

A sudden light filled up the room. She squinted, turning her head away from it.

"…Jasmine?" The voice was hoarse and cracked, but she recognized it. Her eyes widened and she turned toward the man quickly. Too quickly. She moaned softly in pain, screwing her eyes shut as she rode out the wave of pain that hit her. When she opened her eyes she was face-to-face with somebody she thought she would never see again.

Raven.

Even through the dimness of the lantern she could tell that it was him. His hair was as dark and red as ever, and his eyes were wide and glistening. He had little whiskers on his chin and jawline, she noted, and his hair, although as dark as she remembered it to be, was sticking up in every direction. He looked exhausted.

So many emotions swelled in her heart she didn't know what to say or do. So she simply stared at him for a long, silent moment.

"You're awake…" he whispered. His voice cracked again. Gently, his fingers shaking ever so slightly, he brushed them across her face. Her eyes fluttered shut as she enjoyed the feeling of his warm skin against hers. "…I'll go get Priscilla," he said abruptly, moving as if to stand. Her eyes widened instantly, and she cried out a hoarse "No!" as she put a limp hand on his arm in an attempt to stop him. He looked down at her in surprise.

"Don't leave me," she whispered. Her eyes searched his desperately, and her hand tightened on his arm, even though it pained her muscles to do so.

"I won't," he replied, softening. He sat back down, gently prying her hand off his arm. He pressed his lips against her fingers. "I'll stay right here with you."

A torrent of emotions ripped through her. Silently she stared at him and opened her mouth as if to speak, and then thought better of it. Finally, she asked, "What happened to me?"

She looked scared, as if she didn't want to know the answer.

He sighed softly. "You got hurt," he said gravely, "and you fell into the water. You've been unconscious for four days now."

She was silent.

_Everything was red, red with her blood…_

"Jaffar jumped in after you." Her eyebrows shot up.

"…Jaffar?" she repeated. Her eyes widened.

_ A blob of black was heading toward her. She realized it was Death coming to take her away…_

Except it hadn't been Death. It had been Death's Angel.

She felt like laughing at the irony.

He nodded. "He and Hector were the first to get to you. Hector killed the myrmidon who'd hurt you as Jaffar jumped in after you." He paused. "He brought you back up to the surface, and you were unconscious. Serra healed you and was able to stop the blood, but you wouldn't wake." It looked as if it was getting difficult for him to speak. He looked away. "They thought maybe you wouldn't have much time left." His voice was beginning to shake. "They thought you'd lost too much blood to make it through."

A silence filled the air.

"Yet here I am." She sounded like she couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth.

"Yet here you are," he murmured.

"So what happened afterwards?" she asked with a clear of her throat.

"Farina and Legault brought you back to camp." _She lay limp in his arms like a rag doll, drenched wet in water and blood…_ "Priscilla, Lucius, and Pent worked hard trying to revive you…but even after they've closed your wounds and done everything necessary for you to return to your full health, you didn't awake. They told us that there wasn't anything else they could do...that it was now left up to Fate…" _He felt as if the world was collapsing around him, and he could do nothing to stop it. He was suffocating and drowning, drowning in his emotions of rage and sorrow and shock and denial…_

"…Raven?" She gently placed a hand against his cheek so that he turned toward her. The far-away look in his tormented eyes disappeared as they landed on her shimmering blue ones.

"…Sorry," he grumbled, looking away again in embarrassment. "It's just…" He took a long, deep breath and faced her again. "It was really hard for me to see you like that, Jasmine. I thought I lost you for good."

She stared at him for a long moment before she spoke. "I thought I lost you too." Her voice was barely a whisper, and it was so hoarse it was difficult to tell what she was saying. "I thought I'd never see you again." It seemed to pain her to speak these words, and whether it was emotional or physical he wasn't sure.

"You're here now," he whispered, brushing his fingers across her cheek, "and that's all that matters."

"Dammit, Raven!" Her voice cracked as it rose. "Why do you have to go and say something like that?" Her lips trembled. "Why are you being so sweet to me? After what I've done to you?"

"You may have put me through a lot of hell, but that doesn't mean you deserve to go there yet," he teased softly. The corner of his lips curved upward.

"But I hurt you!" she nearly shouted, sitting up abruptly. He jumped in surprise. She hissed suddenly through gritted teeth, squeezing her eyes shut as she leaned back. Concerned, he moved toward her, about to tell her to lie back down, but she shoved him away. His eyebrows rose in surprise. And just as quickly as she had angered, she simmered down and her voice was barely a whisper. "I don't deserve your sympathy."

He moved closer toward her. "It doesn't matter whether or not you hurt me. I put all of that behind me. None of it matters; what matters is that you're alive." He paused, struggling to find his words. "When I saw you limp and unconscious…I so very nearly lost myself.

"_No…" he breathed, shaking his head. His breaths were quick and shaky. Lucius placed a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. "No…!" He started forward, but Lucius tightened his hold. He struggled against him, his wide eyes on her limp form. "NO!" _

"The fact that you were still breathing was the only thing that kept me sane. I've stayed with you every day since you'd lost consciousness, waiting for you to awaken…I realized something that night, Jasmine." Her expression became curious. "I realized that without you, I was nothing. I _need_ you in my life. And if that means putting the past behind us, then so be it. As long as I have you by my side, that's all that matters."

She was quiet for a long time, contemplating his words. She knew that by 'the past' he was referring to the fact that he had confessed his feelings to her, whilst she had done nothing but avoid him. He would be willing to just stay as friends, as long as things went back to the way they were before.

But Jasmine couldn't do that. She couldn't blatantly forget what had occurred between them. She could never forget those three words he had shouted to her and the impact it had on her; the way it had made her heart both slower and faster at the same time, the way it had her breath knocked out of her, the way it had made her legs feel like jello and her face feel flushed.

"...Y'know," she began, catching his attention, "I've always had trouble placing the past behind me." She smiled bitterly, turning her head away from him as if she was looking at something in the distance. He frowned, wondering what she meant by that. Did she want to have absolutely nothing to do with him anymore? "I think that's what's gotten me in a few...predicaments."

"...What're you talking about?" he asked finally, when she was silent for a few moments, still staring off into the distance. She looked at him, but her eyes were somewhere else. Somewhere far, far away.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Raven," she said, perhaps a tad guiltily. "And after everything that's happened, I think it's only right that you know."

She took a long, deep breath, bracing herself for the worst. Then she fixed her eyes on him, straightened her shoulders, and lifted her chin.

"I'm a runaway," she declared boldly. "I ran away from home a few years ago, and I have absolutely no intention of going back. I doubt the house is still even intact. Even if it was, I would never return. So I'm homeless too." She watched his expression carefully, but there was only surprise and not disgust, so she continued. "I didn't have a good living situation for the first twelve years of my life. My father…" Here she looked uncomfortable, looking down at her hands. Then she looked back up, as if wanting to prove to somebody she wasn't scared. "He abused me." Raven raised his eyebrows. "He blamed me for my mother's death; she died giving birth to me. He always reminded me that he wished I'd died, not her. He said I didn't deserve to live. He called me a murderer."

Raven didn't say anything, but he was disgusted by her father. How dare he say such things, especially when it was out of anybody's control, let alone hers?

"So I suppose he wanted to make me suffer, and suffer I did. This scar"—she pointed to the one that ran across her face—"was a birthday present." She traced over it with her finger. "That was the night I ran away. I just couldn't do it anymore. I'd put up with his torture for all those years because I was scared. So scared. I didn't know what would happen if I retaliated, or if I told somebody. I was scared of the consequences. So I let it happen. You'd think that you'd get used to the constant verbal and physical onslaught but…it hurt every time." Her smile was sad and didn't reach her eyes.

"I ran for days on end. I didn't have any money. I didn't have any food. I didn't even have any water. All I had was the clothes on my back, and even that's not enough in the Ilian cold. I nearly froze and starved to death, if it hadn't been for Mark."

Raven's eyes sparked in recognition.

"He was the first person that'd ever shown compassion toward me. To care for me. _Me._ I couldn't believe it at first. I didn't know that people like that existed. He offered me food and shelter, warmth and care. I was wary of him at first—how could I not be? I was scared of what people would do to me—but I was starving, and I knew I would die if I didn't accept his help. And…he did look like a good guy.

"I warmed up to him over time. It took time for me to trust anybody, but it was hard not to trust him. He was like a father to me. The true, genuine father I'd never had. I'd never been so happy in life before." She smiled. "But the fun didn't last long." Her smiled shrunk. "You see, Mark directed a militia and was traveling with them. They did warn me that I would be in danger—some of men had even tried to dissuade Mark from letting me tag along—but Mark said that I could travel with them, if I'd like. He assured me that we would be relatively safe since they were only traveling to their destination; they wouldn't be fighting until they reached it.

"But then one night there was a surprise attack. Everybody was safe and well, but it had been enough to scare Mark. He told me that my life was in jeopardy because of him and that he could no longer do that to me. It was never his fault, y'know," she added defensively, "I'd joined them knowing the dangers and at my own risk. But he was stubborn and made arrangements for my leave. I suppose he felt bad for me, though, because when my carriage came and took me away, I arrived at a school. And it wasn't just any school. It was a school specialized in teaching children military tactics. Apparently he had some special connections, too, because the president welcomed me in and set me up in one of the finest rooms they had." She smiled. "Even now, I can't believe how much Mark has done for me.

"Sometimes I think that he wouldn't have been so generous to other people. Sure, he probably would've been kind to them, but not with the kindness he had treated me with. I suppose it was because I reminded him of himself a little. He's a runaway too, and I guess he could relate to my situation.

"So," she said, rolling her shoulders and clearing her throat, "I think everything else is self-explanatory. Now you're probably sitting there wondering why on earth I told you all this. But I needed you to know. I needed you to understand why I am the way I am."

The pieces were all fitting together. The way she used to shy away from skin-to-skin contact, the slight narrowing of the eyes when she met somebody new, why she always felt as if she wasn't good enough...It all made perfect sense.

"I've letting go of the past, little by little. Five years ago I was a completely different person than I am now. But...it's hard putting it all behind. It's hard getting close to someone, to let myself be vulnerable." Her voice caught in her throat as the truth of her words emotionally blindsided her. "It scares me. It scares me so much, Raven..." Her shoulders shook as she put her hands to her face. It took him a moment to realize that she was crying.

"It's okay," he said softly, moving closer toward her and enclosing his arms around her. Her head gently hit his shoulder and he soothingly petted her hair. "I'm afraid too."

She looked up at him, lowering her hands. Tears were streaming down her eyes and her eyes were glistening. "R-really?" she whispered.

He nodded. "This is all crazy for me too. In fact, I think it's absolutely insane. I mean, really. You and me? What's the likelihood?" He smiled a little. "I understand if it was Florina and I, but you and me...?"

She smiled through her tears, grumbling something as she smacked his chest.

"But as afraid as I am, as scared as I am of putting myself in a vulnerable position, of letting myself fall so hard with someone who wasn't there to catch me, I'm willing to take the risk. Because I love you. And I think that outweighs everything."

"Even though I'm a homeless runaway?" she asked softly. "Even though I'd be a lousy wife and am no good for you?"

"Yes," he whispered, gently tilting her chin up so that she was looking up at him, "because you're still you, and that's who I fell in love with."

She was silent for a moment, a wide array of emotions on her face. Then she wiped the tears off her face and looked at the little bits of water on her fingers. "I guess I can still cry after all," she said softly. She smiled as she looked up at his confused expression. "You're the first person in over a decade to make me cry."

He wasn't sure if he liked where this was going.

"Sometimes you make me so mad that I want to rip out my hair. Sometimes you make me flustered and embarrassed. Sometimes you make me admire you. But most of all, Raven, you make me happy. It's crazy to think that you, of all people"—He scowled—"would make me feel this way. Because even though you're absolutely frustrating and aggravating..." She smiled at him "...I'm hopelessly and madly in love with you."

For a moment he simply stared at her in stunned silence. He didn't know what to think or feel. And then, once his shock had disappeared, pure joy sprung within him. He didn't even know how to describe it. Everything just seemed and felt so perfect and nothing else mattered in the world except the woman in right of him.

Because she loved him. _She loved him._

"What're you waiting for?" she breathed, leaning in toward him expectantly. "Kiss me."

He smirked wryly. "Not even a please?" he asked, unable to stop himself from teasing.

"No," she whispered, her cheeks flushing pink. "You have to follow the tactician's orders regardless of whether or not I said please, Sir Raven."

"And if I don't?" he challenged, leaning closer so that their lips were a breath apart.

"Then I suppose I'll just have to do it myself." And she yanked on his shirt so that their lips met.

All thoughts of teasing her were out the window. Her kiss was fierce and passionate, and he found himself kissing back with the same intensity. His hands wound around her waist and hers found their way into his hair. It felt as if all their pent-up emotions and banters had exploded in one passionate kiss.

When they finally broke apart, panting heavily, they caught each other's eye. They grinned at each other.

"That's what happens," Jasmine huffed indignantly, "when you don't follow orders."

"Then perhaps I shouldn't follow your orders more often."

She smacked at him playfully as he laughed.

"This is mutiny," she growled.

"Another kiss might be able to quell it," he said, smirking at her shocked expression.

"I don't know," she said, lifting her chin haughtily, "it might just make it worse."

"You'll never know until you try," he persisted. She puffed out her cheeks. Then she sighed, giving in.

"Fine." She gave him a quick peck. Frowning, he leaned in toward, wanting a deeper kiss, but she turned her head the other way. He growled softly, and she couldn't hide her amused smile.

"Must you always be so difficult?" His fingers caught her hair and gently pulled on the strands so she turned back to him.

She seemed affronted. "I've already kissed you twice," she said defensively, "you're just getting greedy."

He arched an eyebrow high. "Greedy?" He paused and made the better of it. "Well, you _are _all mine, aren't you?"

She also raised an eyebrow. There was a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Actually, part of my heart does and always will belong to Sain."

He blinked, shaking his head. "What?" He wondered if he'd heard right.

She giggled. "He'd already claimed part of my heart, years ago," she said, clearly referring to something the green Paladin must've said to her. "So I'm not _all_ yours."

"Then I suppose I'll just have to steal that part of your heart away from him."

"I dunno if you can," she replied, not letting up, "I'm sure he's got it secured."

"What if I hire Matthew to steal it back for me?"

"That's cheating."

He scowled.

"Oh, don't be so selfish, Raven," she teased, "Sain _did_ get to me first, after all."

But her playful words were lost on him. _Don't be so selfish._

She had told him everything about her. She had trusted him enough to do so. She had put herself out there. She even trusted enough to kiss him, to put herself in a vulnerable position.

But he hadn't told her anything. She knew nothing about him; hell, she didn't even know his real name. He hadn't been honest with her. He hadn't let himself become vulnerable.

"...Raven?" she asked softly, clearly noting the sudden change in demeanor. She gently placed a hand against her cheek and turned his head toward her. His expression was guilty. "What's wrong?" Her eyebrows crinkled in concern.

Her concern just made him feel worse. "You're right, Jasmine." She looked confused and worried. "I _am_ selfish. You've told me everything about you but I've kept everything about me to myself. You deserve to know."

"...Know what?" she asked quietly, lowering her hand.

"Everything."

And so he, Lord Raymond, began to tell the story of how he came to be Raven.

* * *

><p><em>...I don't even know what to say. <em>

_Well, Jasmine's past is finally revealed. And Raven reveals his. I think that the end might've been a little rushed, but I couldn't think of any better transitions. I wanted Raven to admit his past to Jasmine too, but it's kinda difficult transitioning from being all playful and kissing to revealing the fact that you're a Lord from the lost House of Cornwell. Mood killer, huh?_


	24. Chapter 24

The following morning, Priscilla checked on Jasmine to ensure that she was alright, as Raven waited outside the tent. After a bit, Priscilla exited the tent and turned to him.

"She'll be fine," she said in a crisp, business-like tone. "She just needs to take it easy, because her body's still adjusting to the loss of blood...so she's going to feel a bit lightheaded for a while."

He nodded. "I understand," he said softly. "Thank you."

She stared at him a moment longer than was necessary, wearing an expression that was a cross between anger and wonder. Then she nodded in return and turned her back to him, stalking off without another word. Raven stared after her.

Jasmine emerged from the tent, looked at Raven, and then turned to see what he was staring at it. "You two still haven't made up?" she questioned, arching an eyebrow at him.

He sighed. "No."

"Why not?" she huffed. "It's been weeks! Raven, you need to go apologize to her!"

He groaned. "But what do I have to apologize for? I've done nothing wrong!"

She gaped at him. "I can't believe you! You said something that hurt her feelings, and quite badly at that!"

"It was the truth," he insisted. "That knight is no good for her!"

"Is anybody ever going to be good enough for her?" she retorted. He raised his eyebrows. "If you keep hovering over her like that, you're just holding her back!" She winced suddenly, putting a hand to her head. Concerned, he a reached a hand out toward her, but she waved him off.

"You need to take it easy, Jasmine," he said softly, in concern. She shot him a look.

"How can I take it easy when you're giving me such a hard time?" He opened his mouth to retort, but she beat him to it. "Sain's not a bad guy. He's a bit careless, sure, and a huge flirt, but he's caring and devoted. If he makes her happy, isn't that the only thing that matters? Don't you want her to be happy?"

He sighed heavily. "...Yes, I do," he admitted.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go apologize to her!"

He paused thoughtfully. "...I will, later," he said. She frowned at him.

"But-!"

He put a hand up to stop her. "I have to speak to somebody else first." Her frown only deepened. "I know what I'm doing," he said firmly to her dubious look.

She sighed and nodded. "Alright, then. Listen, I'm gonna go get breakfast. Would you like to join me, or will you be...?"

"I'll join you later." He paused. "Unless you need any help, that is."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "How old do I look like to you? Five?" she huffed indignantly. "I can get breakfast on my own, thank you very much!"

He raised his eyebrows at her and scowled. "I was just-"

"I know," she smiled. She squeezed his arm affectionately. "And I appreciate it. But I'll be fine."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes," she laughed softly. "I'm a big girl, y'know. I can take care of myself."

He looked as if he wanted to argue, but instead he leaned in toward her and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. When he drew away he was pleased to see the look of shock on her face. He smirked at her before turning on his heels and heading off toward the other direction of camp. She stared after him with a bewildered expression, but soon she just smiled and shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she looked forward and started toward the campfire.

It felt strange to walk again. It felt rather unnatural and awkward. She managed, though, taking it one step at a time. Familiar faces greeted her with smiles and raised eyebrows. She giggled softly as Lowen dropped his bag of apples in surprise.

It was Wallace who was the first to speak when he noticed her. "By the Powers," he boomed, "I knew you were tough, girl!"

"Or perhaps just lucky," she smiled.

"Luck schmuck!" he huffed. "You gotta have real guts to be able to survive after drowning and losing nearly every drop of blood in your body! A weaker person wouldn't have made it through, even if he had all the damned luck in the world!"

"You think so?" she questioned, taking a seat beside him.

"I know so!" he boomed confidently, pounding his chest armor with his fist.

"And you know this from serving that pathetic territory you worship, for, what, a hundred years?" a different female voice sneered. Jasmine looked up to see a tall woman with short blonde hair approach them, with an amused smirk on her lips. Immediately Jasmine noted the jagged scar running across the woman's face, and instinctively her hand flew to her own scar. The woman took notice of the motion, her eyes scanning the long scar across Jasmine's face. She opened her mouth to say something, but Wallace interrupted.

"Pathetic territory?" Wallace shouted indignantly. "A hundred years?!"

"Are you as deaf, teapot? Or are my words too quick for you to properly comprehend what I'm saying?"

"Why, I've never-!"

"Never what?" she sneered. "Been outwitted? I find that rather hard to believe, General, for your wit is as slow as your moves on the battlefield!"

Jasmine's mouth dropped at the audacity of Vaida's comment, and Wallace's face reddened in anger. He looked even more like a teapot, one ready to burst. "WHAT?" he roared. "You dare insult my skills?!"

"Skills? Hah!" She threw back her head and laughed. "With the way you play with your little needle on the battlefield, I'd sooner believe that you've got skills in knitting than in fighting!"

"Not that you would know!" he retorted. "For you've got skills in neither!"

Vaida stopped laughed, and her face darkened considerably. Wallace smirked. "Then let's put it to the test, shall we?" she snapped. "You and me shall spar and see who is victorious!"

"Bah!" He waved her off. "I've no time for such childish games."

"Oh, don't tell me the big bald Caelin General is scared." She smirked at the look he shot her.

"I most certainly am not!" he huffed, puffing out his chest. "A knight of Caelin fears nothing!"

"Prove it!"

He growled lowly, scowling. Then he pointed a finger at her. "Fine. You and I shall battle today!" Her face broke out in a wide grin. "And you will see that, I, General Wallace of Caelin, will have you begging before my knees in mercy!"

"Hah! We shall see about that!" She turned on her heels and stalked off. Wallace seated himself with a smirk upon his lips.

"...Wallace," Jasmine spoke slowly, "who was that?" She felt as if she'd seen the woman before, but certainly not around camp.

"Oh, that cobra? She goes by Vaida. She's a Wyvern General from Bern."

Jasmine's eyebrows shot up. "A Wyvern General, you say?" Her look became contemplative, as if already determining how to use the newcomer in battle.

"Mhm. She's not much, though," he added. "I would be far more useful in battle than her!"

Jasmine giggled. "You certainly are helpful, Sir Wallace, I'll give you that. You take those ballistae on without a fear in the world!"

"Of course!" he said, pounding his chest armor again. "Why, this one time the enemy had hold of the ballistae, I was..." As Wallace trailed off to tell Jasmine of his heroic tale, the three lords emerged from a tent. They all seemed rather awake and alert, Hector most of all.

Lyn squinted at the sunlight. "When shall we take leave?" she questioned, turning to the other lords.

"As soon as possible," Hector replied. "Once we've assembled our finest weapons and alert the others of our leave, we should take off."

"Indeed," Eliwood agreed, fingering the rapier on his hip. "We need to get a head start if we plan on acquiring two legendary weapons in a single day."

Lyn laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "You make it sound as if it's the most normal thing to do."

Eliwood smiled meekly, shrugging helplessly. "In this war, it might as well be."

"Well said, Eliwood, well said," Hector laughed, clapping his friend on the back. Eliwood winced and would've lost his balance if Lyn hadn't been there to catch him.

"Easy there," he grumbled, rubbing his shoulder. "I don't want to get injured before battle." Hector scratched his head sheepishly.

"Heh. Sorry. Must be all that 'rampant energy' stuff Old Graybeard was talking about."

"Save it for the battle, then," Lyn quipped. "Now, come, we should get ready." She began to walk off, and Hector and Eliwood frowned after her.

"Uh, Lyn? Merlinus's tent is in the other direction."

"I know," she replied, looking back at Hector over her shoulder. "I'm just going to check on Jasmine first." She narrowed her eyes at the Ostian lord, expecting him to argue that it was a waste of time. To her great astonishment, however, he simply nodded.

"Alright. Let us know if she seems better."

Lyn felt a bit foolish for being so surprised; he was worried about their tactician too, after all. "Of course." She gave a swift smile before heading toward Jasmine's tent. She did not notice said tactician sitting beside the booming Wallace, and neither of them noticed her, too engrossed in Wallace's tale. When Lyn drew back the opening to Jasmine's tent, her eyes widened and her mouth opened to unleash a shriek.

Wallace was the first to his feet, clanking in his armor as he jumped with a quickness Jasmine never knew he was capable of. "Milady Lyndis!" he said, clanking over her to her side swiftly, as Hector and Eliwood dashed toward her as well. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"She's gone!" Lyn squeaked. She looked back and forth, as if expecting the tactician to pop out of the bushes and surprise her. She clenched onto Wallace's plates. "Where is she?" Wallace never had the chance to reply, as Hector cut him off.

"What d'you mean, she's gone'?" Hector demanded as he reached her and Wallace. His eyes widened suddenly. "You-you mean...?"

Lyn shook her head furiously. "No, she's just not in there!" She gestured into the empty tent. Her lips quivered and her eyes widened as she realized what her words meant. "B-but...that means...no! It can't be true! It mustn't!"

"Calm yourself, Lyndis," Eliwood said firmly yet gently, "they probably just have moved her back to the healers' tent. Certainly we would've been alerted if she'd..." He trailed off.

"Actually," Wallace said slowly, "if milords are speaking of the Lady Tactician..." They all leaned in closer. "She's right over there." He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder and stepped out of the way. All three lords turned to look in the direction Wallace was pointing at.

Jasmine smiled sheepishly at them and waved.

"Jasmine!" Lyn cried, running toward the tactician and throwing her arms around her. Jasmine yelped in surprise, stumbling back a few steps. "Oh, thank Mother Earth and Father Sky! I thought I'd lost you!" She squeezed her tighter.

"You will if you don't release me soon," Jasmine gasped. Lyn laughed and released her immediately, smiling down apologetically at her.

"I'm sorry, I just...well...you're alive!" She seemed as if she didn't know what else to say. She was positively beaming.

"Is that how you welcome back your friend?" Eliwood chuckled softly. Lyn shrugged meekly, smiling. Eliwood chuckled again and turned his attention to Jasmine. He smiled kindly at her. "Welcome back, Jasmine. You've been missed greatly - from us, from our comrades. It certainly has been a strange five days without you."

"You could say that again!" Hector said. "We didn't know how hard tactics were until we had to do a bit ourselves!"

Jasmine raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Did you guys have a battle while I was...out?"

"Yeah, and it was a damn mess without your guidance! So don't you ever try getting yourself killed again! You hear me?!"

She smiled up at him. "You have my word, Lord Hector." She shifted her eyes from one lord to the next, maintaining eye contact with each of them. "I shall stick by your sides until the very end." She bowed her head, to their great surprise.

"What's gotten into you?" Hector demanded, clearly uncomfortable at her sudden change in demeanor. "Since when do you treat us like nobles?"

"Since you decided to act like a Lord." The curve of Jasmine's lips were a cross between a smirk and a smile as she raised her eyes to meet his. Hector's eyebrows shot up and Lyn chuckled softly as Eliwood smiled widely.

"Well, don't do it again!" he grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. "You know how I don't like that nonsense."

"Apologies, _my lord_." She laughed at the glare he sent her. She paused suddenly, scrutinizing him. "There truly is something different about you, though...I can't quite place my finger on it..."

"We'll explain everything to you later, Jasmine, I promise you," Eliwood said. "I'm sorry to cut our reunion short, but the three of us need to get going soon."

There was obvious confusion written across her features - where could they possibly be going, just the three of them, without the rest of the army? - but she nodded nonetheless. "Alright. I wish you the best of luck in your...endeavors."

"Thank you. We won't be long." He offered her one last smile before turning on his heels and heading off toward Merlinus's tent, where the merchant was waiting expectantly for them. Hector grinned and tousled Jasmine's hair, much to her dismay, before heading off after his redheaded friend. Lyn smiled, squeezed Jasmine's hand gently, and quickly dashed after the other Lycian lords.

"Seeing you has given them great strength," a voice came from behind Jasmine. "In times like these, it's hard to have hope, but seeing you alive has proved to them that miracles happen even in the darkest of times."

She turned to see Lord Athos standing before her, wearing a smile behind his long beard. Her eyebrows shot up in shock. "Lord Athos!"

"Greetings, child of Barigan. I knew you would wake up soon."

"...Barigan?" she questioned. "As in...?"

"Yes," he nodded. "The Holy Knight of Ilia, known for his stubbornness and strength."

"Ah...I see," she said quietly. "...How did you know I was going to awake soon?"

"Why, that's simple, child." She frowned in confusion. "You still have a purpose here. You weren't ready to go just yet."

"...A purpose?" she whispered. He smiled and nodded toward the lords. They were now conversing with their most devoted and loyal retainers.

"They need you. Not only as their tactician, but also as their friend. In fact, the entire army depends on you." He paused. "But your purpose goes beyond that. You are still offered a greater, grander reason to live."

Her eyebrows rose and her eyes sparkled in wonder. "What is it?" Her voice was but a whisper.

He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "I cannot tell you the answer to that, child. You'll just have to figure that out yourself." And he walked off without another word, heading toward the lords. Jasmine stared after him, contemplating his words.

_You'll just have to figure that out yourself. _

She smiled. She was a tactician, after all. She would figure it out sooner or later.

~-x-~~-x-~-~-x-~

While Jasmine had been speaking to Wallace, Raven had made his way toward Lucius's tent.

"Lucius," he said, stepping in, "I need to-" He cut himself short when he saw the scene before him.

Lucius had his back to him as Serra braided his hair, chattering all the while. Serra paused when she heard Raven enter, and frowned up at him.

"Excuse me!" she huffed. "Don't you know your manners? You need to announce yourself before just barging in!" Lucius glanced over his shoulder, and looked surprised when he saw Raven.

Raven raised his eyebrows at the pink-haired Bishop. "But this is my tent."

"So? You still have to remember your manners, especially in the presence of a lady!"

He rolled his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. He would never understand how Lucius put up with this woman.

"Perhaps you should go get breakfast now," Lucius said to Serra. She pouted at him.

"But I'm not done with your hair!"

"You'll have the chance to later, I promise. But for now, I would really appreciate it if you left Raven and I a moment alone."

She sighed and stood. "Alright, Lucius, but only because you asked so kindly. At least you have manners." She gave Raven a pointed glare. He glared right back at her, and she tossed one of her pigtails over her shoulder as she walked past him and out of the tent.

Raven raised an eyebrow at Lucius, eyeing his half-braided hair. "Really?"

Lucius blushed slightly. "What?" he huffed, a bit defensively.

"Never mind." He shook his head. "I have something I need to tell you."

Lucius sobered. "What is it, milord?"

"I told her." The blonde's eyebrows knotted in confusion. "I told her everything, Lucius. I told her everything."

"...You mean, you told Jasmine?" Lucius asked slowly. "But how could that be? Isn't she...?" Suddenly his eyes widened. "Is she awake now?"

A grin crossed Raven's face. He nodded vigorously. "Yes, by God! She's alive!" He laughed. Lucius's mouth dropped, both in surprise at the fact that Jasmine was alive and that his lord was grinning and laughing.

"That's splendid!" Lucius said genuinely, clasping his hands. "Our prayers have been answered!"

"Indeed they have, my friend! It's nothing short of a miracle! I thought for certain that I'd lost her, that I would never see her eyes open again..." He trailed off, suddenly breathing raggedly. Lucius scooted toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"But you haven't, milord. She is still on this Earth, with us."

"...Thank you, Lucius," Raven murmured. "For everything - for staying by my side all these years, for never giving up on me. You are a true friend."

Something in Lucius's eye twinkled at him. "Of course, my lord...of course." A moment of silence followed, and Lucius cleared his throat. "So, you said that you told Jasmine everything...? Whatever do you mean by that?"

"I told her everything - from Cornwell's fall, to my thirst for vengeance."

Lucius gasped, a hand flying to his mouth. "M-my lord! I never thought you would...!"

"Neither did I," Raven laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "But I love her, Lucius, by God I love her. She deserved to know everything."

"...How did she react?" he asked slowly.

"Quite well, actually," Raven said thoughtfully. "I mean, of course she was surprised and everything...but she accepted me. She told me she still loved me, no matter what my past is."

"Wait, what?" Lucius shouted, much to the redhead's surprise. "She admitted that she feels the same way about you?!"

"Why is that such a surprise?" Raven frowned. Instantly Lucius gathered his composure.

"My apologies; I never meant to sound so shocked. It just surprised me a bit!" He smiled. "But I'm so happy for you, Lord Raven. Truly, I am."

He smiled in return. "I'm happy, too."

"...So," Lucius said, taking on a tone that alerted Raven that the following conversation would not be pleasant, "Have you told Lady Priscilla?"

Raven shook his head. "Not yet. I mean, I haven't even apologized to her yet, so I don't plan on telling her about Jasmine and I until afterwards."

"You _do_ plan on apologizing to her, then?"

"Yes," Raven sighed, nodding. Lucius brightened. "But I need to have a little chat with somebody else first. I just have to make sure of something beforehand."

"Do what you must," Lucius said, not questioning his Lord, content that he was going to admit his faults. "I'm proud of you, Lord Raven, for how far you have come."

Raven smiled at him. "Me too, Lucius. Me too."

* * *

><p>"I-I'm not so sure about this, Serra…"<p>

"Oh, c'mon! I'm sure you look great!"

"…A-are you sure these are the right s-size? I mean, it's all _really_ tight…"

"It's supposed to be like that!" Serra reassured. "So it hugs your curves and all."

"M-m-my _curves_?" squeaked Florina. Serra nodded, and then realized that she couldn't see it, so she said,

"Yeah. Now come out and let me see!"

She heard a sigh from the other side of the curtain, and after a few moments Florina drew back the curtain. A delighted squeal escaped Serra's lips as she jumped up in glee.

"Oh, Florina," she gushed, "you look stunning!"

Florina flushed red. "R-really?"

"Yeah! I mean, look at you!" She grabbed her hand and pulled her to her side, turning her toward the mirror. Florina's jaw dropped as she saw her reflection.

She could barely even recognize herself. Her top was a daring shade of red, and it fell off one shoulder, revealing her bare skin. It was rather low-cut as well, with thin black pieces of lace keeping the fabric at her chest together. Her black skirt was longer than the skirt she usually wore – it fell right above her knees – but it was skintight, leaving little to the imagination. She was grateful that her boots covered up her legs, at least.

"I look…!" She stopped herself short, not wishing to the say the word aloud and also not wishing to hurt Serra's feelings. She'd taken so much time putting the attire together, and it would've been rude to shoot it down. She looked so excited, too! Her eyes gleamed as she looked, clearly satisfied, at her masterpiece.

"Fabulous?" offered Serra, mussing a bit of Florina's hair so that it gave an even greater suggestive appeal. "My gosh, Florina, the next man who sees you will have a heart attack!"

Florina flushed even redder. She was grateful that they were the only two of the army in the shop. If Fiora was there, Florina was certain that _she_ would've had a heart attack!

"T-then I guess I s-should hurry up and change so nobody would get hurt…" She started back toward the changing room.

"Wait!" Serra huffed, "I'm not done yet! You still need proper accessories so that you look absolutely _perfect_ on your date!"

"S-Serra!" cried Florina, "I told you, I _can't_ go on a d-d-date!"

"Yes you are," Serra said sternly, "after all this effort I put into putting that outfit together, you have to go on that date! Besides, you know you really want to, deep, deep down!"

Florina shook her head vigorously. "I appreciate everything you've d-done for me, truly, but I-I d-don't think I can—"

"Serra!" a familiar, gruff male voice called out. "We been lookin' all over fer ye and Florina! Ye've 'ad enough time playin' dress-up, it's about time—"

He cut himself short as he caught sight of Florina. His eyes widened and his jaw slackened. She looked away from him, her face a bright red. Serra smirked widely, looking back and forth at the two.

"Doesn't she look gorgeous?" she chirped, unable to take the silence any longer. Dart straightened up suddenly as he realized that he'd been gaping, and tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his shirt. He stopped his eyes from roving over Florina and focused them upon her red face.

He gulped, scratching the back of his head. "Y-you look…different, Florina." A light shade of pink sprinkled across his cheeks.

Florina didn't respond, only ducking her head shyly in response.

Serra spoke for her eagerly. "I know, right? Doesn't she look fantastic?!"

Dart didn't reply immediately. "I…suppose," he said slowly.

Serra frowned. "What do you mean, you 'suppose'? She's stunning! Every man that sees her is going to ask for her hand in marriage!"

"S-Serra," Florina mumbled, embarrassed.

"What? It's true!"

"I don't think she'll be attracting the right kind of guys," Dart grumbled, eyeing her bare shoulder.

Serra flared instantly as Florina's face fell. "Excuse me? You can't possibly be implying that Florina looks…?"

"I'm saying that it don't suit her." He paused and then took a hesitant step toward Florina, addressing her now. "…Are you doing all this to impress a man, Florina?"

She looked up at him sheepishly and then back at the floor. She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. He took another step toward her. Then he paused and glanced at Serra.

"Can we…'ave a moment alone?" he asked her, looking a bit uncomfortable asking the question.

"Of course not!" Serra huffed indignantly. Florina looked at her in shock and Dart raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to hear why you don't like…" She caught Florina's eye and cut herself short. "…Actually, maybe I'll go take a look at those dresses over there…" She disappeared into the dozens of racks of clothes, making her way toward the other side of the store. Dart frowned after her, wondering what that was all about that, and then shook his head and sighed. He returned his attention to the lavender-haired girl before him.

"Listen to me, Florina," he said softly. There was a moment of hesitation before she looked up at him. Her blue-grey eyes fastened on his sea blue ones. "You don't need to wear something like that to get a man's attention. You're already beautiful." She flushed red and downcast her eyes. He gently placed his hand against her cheek, and she looked up at him again. "If a man doesn't love you for who you are, then he ain't worth your time."

She was silent for a moment, contemplating his words, before a beautiful smile graced her lips. "Y-you're right, Dart," she said softly. "Th-thank you…"

His cheeks tinged pink. "Yeah, err, no problem," he said gruffly, coughing and scratching the back of his head. "Anyways, Marcus and Oswin will get all cranky if we don't get going. Y'know how we have to be back in the capital before sundown."

"Y-yes, o-of course!" she said quickly, nodding. "I-I'll be right back…" She quickly headed back toward the changing room, drawing the curtain shut behind her. Immediately Dart put his hands to his face and grumbled "No problem? That's the best you can say?" underneath his breath. Sighing, he lowered his hands, and then scanned the store with narrowed eyes. He needed to have a little chat with that cleric about her fashion sense.

~-x-~-~-x-~-~-x-~

"Are you sure you can't give me a discount?" Sain frowned. The merchant before him firmly shook his head.

"Knight or not, you're still paying full price."

"Fine, then," Sain huffed, lifting his chin. "I suppose I'll just have to find myself another vendor."

The man shrugged. "Suit yourself." He turned his attention to the customer behind Sain. The knight frowned and walked off sadly, pocketing his gold pieces. The army was beginning to become low on funds, so he was going to save all his gold pieces for something that was absolutely necessary. An elixir could always be bought another time.

"Hey! You, knight!"

Sain stopped and turned around, wondering if perhaps the merchant had changed his mind after all. But walking toward him was not the chubby seller, but a redheaded Hero. Sain's eyes widened as he watched Raven toss him something, and he caught it deftly. He stared down in his hands to see that he had caught an elixir.

"...What's this?" Sain asked slowly, narrowing his eyes at the redhead. Perhaps it was actually poison.

"An Elixir, what d'you think?" Raven rolled his eyes. "I saw that you didn't have enough gold pieces for it, so I got it for you."

"Actually, I _could _afford it," Sain corrected, "I just chose to save my money for something else."_  
><em>

"Well, considering all the injuries you're prone to in battle" - Sain scowled - "I thought you might need that. I had some extra gold left over from my last fight in the Arena, so I could spend some extra gold," he added, explaining himself.

"...But why?" Sain asked, frowning. Raven rolled his eyes, looking annoyed.

"I just told you-"

"No," Sain interrupted, "_why_?"

Raven was silent for a moment before he replied. "I figured it would make up for the black eye I gave you."

"You didn't give me a black eye," Sain grumbled, "you just broke my nose."

Raven shrugged. "Whatever. Either way, that's compensation for your injury." He paused, and then sighed. "Listen, knight, I've recently...come to my senses. What I said to Priscilla was wrong, and what I did to you wasn't right either. So I'm sorry for losing control of myself and releasing my anger on you."

There was no hiding the shock in Sain's expression. "It's...quite alright."

"I just...I suppose you could call me a little overprotective." He sighed again, sticking his hands in his pocket. "Listen, I'm not good at this kinda 'apologizing' stuff, so let me just get straight to the point. I want to see Priscilla happy. That's all. I want her to be safe and happy. And even though you and I have had our differences, if you make her happy, that's all that matters to me. But I don't want you to make her fall in love with you, only for you to leave her. That is what I fear. That is why I've always been so protective of her around other men.

"But she is my sister, and all I want is for her to be happy. I've been holding her back from her happiness - from you. If you love her, knight, and if you vow to cherish and love her forever, then I will no longer stand in the way."

"I do love her," Sain replied solidly, straightening his back. "I love her with every ounce of my being. I promise to you and to her that I will keep her happy, and that I will stay by her side for the rest of our lives."

Raven scrutinized him. He was radiating with sincerity and pride, his eyes gleaming with a certain kind of honesty. And in that moment Raven knew - he knew that Sain loved Priscilla with an undying, unyielding passion. Raven smiled slightly and nodded. "Very well." He took a step forth, extending his hand. "Let us forget the past and look to the future…Sain."

Sain grinned and clasped his hand, shaking his hand firmly. "I'd love to…brother."

The smile fell off his face and his eyes narrowed. "Don't push it."

Sain laughed nervously and put his hands up in a motion of peace. "My apologies. You know how I tend to get carried away."

"That's an understatement," Raven grumbled underneath his breath. "Now, don't forget to use that Elixir when the time comes." He pointed at it. "I spent good money on it, so I expect to see you using it."

"Of course! The next time I'm injured I'll use it and think of you!"

Raven rolled his eyes. "I'm honored." Sain merely grinned at the sarcastic comment. Shaking his head, Raven began to stalk off. "Come," he said, pausing and glancing at Sain over his shoulder. "We need to meet back with the others soon."

"Ah! Hold on! I need to get Misty!"

Instantly Raven twirled back to fully face the knight. "After all you just promised me you're just going to get another woman?!"

Sain blinked at him. "Misty is my steed."

Raven blinked back. "Oh."

Sain frowned. "Do you think so lowly of me that I would leave Priscilla for another woman? I told you, I love her, truly I do!" He folded his arms across his chest. "You're going to have to learn how to trust me, Raven, if we're going to get along!"

Raven sighed heavily, nodding. "Apologies, Sain. I just...well...I told you I was a bit overprotective, didn't I? I suppose I'm just a bit jumpy..."

"It's alright," Sain smiled. "I understand. I know it'll probably take you some time to adjust, but before you know it we'll be acting like the closest of brothers!"

"We're not brothers," Raven snapped, annoyed. "Stop calling us so!"

"We're not brothers _yet_," Sain corrected with a grin. "Soon we will be! Then Jasmine will be my sister! Exciting, isn't it?!"

"WHAT?" Raven's eyes bulged. "Wha-how-who-?"

Sain snickered and winked. "Word travels fast, my friend. Now, come, we must return to the others!"

"One last thing," Raven said as Sain went over to his horse. Sain paused, glancing over his shoulder at Raven, and felt his face pale at the malicious, purely _evil_ smirk Raven was giving him. "If you ever make her cry, I'll find you."

And with that he turned on his heels and began to march off. Sain soon began to grin, mounting his horse. "I'll keep that in mind...brother."

* * *

><p>Isadora silently stared up at the night sky. A lone tear rolled down her cheek.<p>

The sound of a twig cracking alerted her that someone was near, and she hastily wiped her cheek. She dared a glance over her shoulder, hoping that the person wouldn't notice her red and watery eyes. To her utter surprise, the man was not the blonde she'd been anticipating, but rather a lavender-haired man. She realized that he must've wanted his presence known (he would never make such noise) so she could have a moment to collect herself.

"Master Legault," she said, clearing her throat and hoping her voice didn't sound too croaky, "What brings you here so late at night?"

Legault was silent for a moment. His eyes rested on hers, and it bothered her that she couldn't read them. He took a few silent steps toward her, moving on the grass as if gliding. "I could ask you the same, Dame Knight."

She looked away as he neared. "Just enjoying the night sky," she lied.

"And you were so moved by it that you started crying?" She quickly looked back at him, and cursed herself for doing so. She didn't reply, turning her head away again. The assassin bent down beside her, his hands resting on his knees. A brief moment of silence passed before Legault spoke again. "Do you love him?"

The question shocked her so much that she whipped her head back toward him. Her mouth dropped. "I beg your pardon?"

"Do you love him?"

She bristled and flustered. "That is-you cannot just-it's a personal-I don't know what you're talking about!" she concluded with a huff, trying to regain her composure and the little dignity she had left. She straightened her posture and lifted her chin.

He contemplated her a moment, his eyes trailing all over her face. They rested upon her lips a moment longer, and then he lifted his eyes to hers. "You're a smart woman. I think you very well know what I'm talking about, Isadora." Her eyes went to his at her name. He had never called her without her title.

"…It's still none of your business," she retorted, still defensive.

"It's just a question," he replied innocently. She glared at him.

"Well, then, I refuse to answer it." She let out a little huff as she stood up. She stared down at him, trying her best to appear calm. His face was a mask. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go wait for the lords with the others."

She turned on her heels and began to quickly walk off. Knowing him, though, he would have one more thing to say…

"Isadora." She stopped. When he didn't speak immediately, she glanced over her shoulder at him. His back was still to her, his long hair whipping in the wind. "Just remember: no man is worth your tears."

She stalked off without another word.

* * *

><p><em>So, I had a case of writer's block for the last few weeks. Heck, my original draft is completely different from this final version of the chapter. I made QUITE a few adjustments to this chapter in the past 2 days so that it flows much better and makes a heck of a lot more sense. So there's my lame excuse for the nearly 2 month wait for the update.<em>

_On the plus side, I think this chapter's pretty good! :P I'm so happy I was able to incorporate a little bit of Vaida and Wallace - those two are just hilarious! Their support conversation is my favorite out of the entire game! Lucius and Serra come in a close second. I did finally shift the focus from solely Raven and Jasmine to other members of the army/other couples, since we'd had a huge dose of just Jasmine and Raven lately. _

_By the way, this is Chapter 30 in the game/storyline, when Hector is going to retrieve Armads and Eliwood is going to get Dundral. Hence Athos is there. Just to clear that up, in case anybody was confused. So Chapter 29 (Shrine of Seals) was fought without Jasmine ordering the army because she was unconscious._

_Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!_


	25. Chapter 25

There was a gentle rap on the door. Hector lifted his face from his hands, cleared his throat, and managed a, "Come in." Assuming that it was Oswin, he straightened his shoulders and hardened his expression.

However, it wasn't Oswin's head poking through the door – it was Lyn's. Hector relaxed a little, but kept his shoulders stiff. He forced a small smile on his face.

"Lyn," he greeted. "…Something you need?"

She quietly closed the door behind her, her eyes trained on his. Her expression was morose and pitiful, and Hector's expression hardened once more.

"I overheard what happened," she said, very softly and gently, as if speaking any louder would shatter him to pieces. She made her way toward him, taking a seat beside him on the edge of his bed. "…Are you alright?" She looked at him in concern, and he turned his head away from her. He didn't want to be looked at like that.

"I'm fine," he lied, as he had done at his parents' funeral years ago. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine." He had always thought that the more he said it, it would eventually become true.

"…You're a terrible liar," she said quietly.

He felt like laughing, but couldn't find the strength him to do so. "I know," he said, his voice as gentle as hers. He offered a weak smile that collapsed almost as soon as it had formed. "But I have to be strong, y'know? For you, for Eliwood…for the army. I must be strong…I have to keep my head up."

"That's admirable, Hector," she smiled, "but…" The smile slowly slipped off her face. "Putting on a brave face doesn't make you any stronger."

He furrowed his eyebrows at her.

"Even the strongest of people grieve for what is lost. And I understand why you'd want to act strong for the army – it's an admirable notion – but that's all it is. _Acting_. It doesn't really make you any stronger. Being honest to yourself, though…" She gently put her hand over his. "Now that takes the most strength and courage of all."

He stared at her silently before looking down at his lap. "That sounds like something my brother would say." His lips quivered. "Dammit, Lyn, it hurts." His free hand balled up into a fist on his lap. "It really hurts."

She squeezed his hand. "…You know what my mother always used to tell me?" she said slowly. "She'd say, 'a strong person is not the one who doesn't cry. A strong person is the one who sheds tears for a moment, then picks herself up and fights again'."

Hector glanced at her, smiling with his still quivering lips. "Your mother was a wise woman," he murmured. "She raised the strongest woman I've ever had the pleasure of meeting." He squeezed her hand.

"…Thank you," she whispered, "It would've made her happy to hear that." She paused, concern flitting her features as she watched Hector struggle with his emotions. "Hector," she said softly, "you don't have to do this alone."

The moisture that had been accumulating in his eyes turned into tears. They rolled down his cheeks and dripped down his chin, splattering onto his clenched fist. "I didn't even get to say goodbye," he croaked. "I-it's not fair!" he moaned, slamming his fist against the bed. He leaned forward, shoulders hunched, and sobs suddenly wracked his body.

Lyn enveloped her arms around him in an instant, squeezing the hands they still held together. Hector leaned against her, wetting her shoulder as he sobbed against it. Lyn whispered reassuring murmurs to him as she held him tight, letting him know that it alright to let his emotions out. The action reminded Hector of his mother, and how she used to hold him and pet his hair while he cried against her, and it just made him cry harder. He didn't quiet until sleep overcame him.

Lyn smiled softly once he fell asleep, eyeing the wet tracks his tears had left on his cheeks. She shifted, trying to move him down onto the bed, but he bristled at the movement, his hand involuntarily tightening over hers. Lyn paused, then smiled again, shaking her head. She kissed Hector him softly on the forehead. With their hands still intertwined, she leaned her head against his and let her fatigue defeat her will to stay awake.

The two slept soundly for the rest of the night.

~-x-~-~-x-~-x-~

It took him a while to find her, but he did eventually. She was in the castle's library, pouring over maps and books and infinite lists under a single candlelight at a desk. He watched her silently for a moment before he let his presence be known.

"Staying up late tonight?"

She looked up, clearly startled, and squinted through the dark. He sashayed his way toward her desk, and she relaxed when she saw who it was.

"Oh, Matthew, it's just you." She glanced back at her list and continued scribbling on it. "Did you need something?"

"I wanted to talk with you."

"About what?"

He watched her a moment before speaking again. "About Jaffar."

He watched the quill freeze in place. Her face slowly raised to meet his. "…What about him?" she asked cautiously. She sounded as if she already knew the answer to her question.

"I thought you didn't like him." He spoke lightly first, warming her up for the conversation that was to follow.

"I never said that. I just had trouble trusting him. You know how I can be."

"Then why were you being all friendly to him?" His voice suddenly took a lowly turn. "I saw you talking to him today. He's dangerous, y'know. You need to be careful."

"I was simply thanking him for saving my life," she said coolly, her eyes glinting in the candlelight. "Though I don't think it's any of _your_ business."

His face was set in a dark scowl. "I'm a spy, goddammit," he spat, "everything's my business."

"…I don't see how this would relate to Ostia's interests." There was that glint in her eyes that she often had when arguing with Raven; she wasn't going to back down without a fight.

"Well, I'll tell you how it does." He swept closer toward her. She saw the unruliness of his hair, the stubble growing on his chin, the dark circles underneath his eyes. A hint of uneasiness settled into her. "That man killed an Ostian spy."

Her eyebrows rose to her hairline. She didn't reply immediately. Then, very softly, speaking as if she had thought out each word carefully, she said, "Getting revenge will not bring her back."

"I know that," he spat. He pushed himself off the desk with his hands. "But he doesn't deserve to live, after all he's done."

"Even after he saved my life?"

Matthew's expression hardened. "That doesn't make up for everything else he's done."

"Perhaps not," she admitted, "but I think it shows that he's changed. He's no longer Nergal's slave. He'll start to do things that he realizes are—"

"Why are you standing up for him?!" Matthew shrieked, losing all the composure he'd always managed to keep, throwing his arms in the air. "Sure, the man saved your life, but he's killed countless others!"

"People change, Matthew," she said firmly, standing up from her chair. "He may have made mistakes in the past, but—"

"Deliberately killing people is not a mistake."

"You talk as if you haven't killed a person before," she said coldly. His eyebrows raised at her audacity, and then his eyes narrowed.

"It's different," he hissed. "We're fighting for what's right."

"Murder is still murder."

"You may have never murdered a man by your own hands, _Lady Tactician,_" he hissed, "but all those lives taken from the battlefield – every single miserable life – were all taken by you." He stood breathlessly, relishing in the sound of her stunned silence.

"I won't deny that," she spoke finally, her words shocking him. "I know that I directed the army to kill all those men, to end all those lives. I take responsibility for it all. But you – when will you stop denying that vengeance will do you no good?"

There was a moment of absolute silence as Matthew stood frozen in place. Jasmine hoped that her words had left a mark on his mind, but his reply surprised her.

"I'll let you know once the deed is done." And he melted back into the shadows.

~-x-~-~-x-~-x-~

"…Come in."

Raven opened the door to Priscilla's room. "…Priscilla," he greeted. He noted that she had the room to herself, and was grateful for it.

Her lips were drawn in a tight line. "…Something you need?" she asked, her voice colder than he'd ever heard it. The fact that she was still acting cold and angry toward him confirmed that Sain had not told Priscilla anything about the conversation that the two had had the other day. Raven supposed that Sain was a man of his word, after all.

"I've come to apologize." She was silent, clearly waiting for him to continue. "I'm sorry for what I said that night. It was wrong of me."

She softened, a smile gracing her lips. "It's alright," she said softly. "…I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"No," he said, shaking his head. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Don't be sorry. I deserved it. It…wasn't my place to say such things." He sighed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I want you to be happy, Priscilla, and I realized that I'd been blocking your way to happiness. I've always just wanted to protect you from the world, but in the process I haven't allowed you to do the things you want to and spend time with the people you want to be with.

"He makes you happy – even I can see that – and if he makes you happy, then that's at all really matters." He took a deep breath, and took a few steps forth. He shrugged sheepishly. "I guess what I'm saying is that, if you love him, be with him. I promise I'll no longer stand in the way."

"…Truly? You truly mean it?" she whispered, a hand upon her chest. She looked up at him desperately, her eyes glistening with emotion. He nodded.

"Yes, I do. You are my sister, after all, and…I know I haven't said it in years, but I do love you. I want what's best for you…and if that's being with Sain, then so be it. As long as it makes you happy, that's all that matters to me."

Her hand flew to her mouth as her emotions overwhelmed her. Her eyebrows crinkled and her eyes watered. "Oh, Lord Brother…" she whispered. "I've waited so long to hear you say that!"

He smiled. "Sorry for the wait."

She let out a laugh of surprise and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. He returned the embrace, and held her as she sobbed against him.

"I'm so sorry for everything," he murmured, "for all the pain I've caused you."

"It's alright," she whispered through her tears, "I forgive you. Of course I do. You're my brother, after all. I could never stay mad at you."

Emotions rendered Raven speechless, so he squeezed her a bit tighter in response, to let her know that he was happy, to let her know that he was grateful for having such a forgiving sister. She smiled against him and squeezed him in return, letting him know that she had forgiven him as soon as the words had left his mouth, letting him know that she knew him well enough to know that he had been sorry as soon as he had spoken those harmful words.

And that was all the conversation they needed.

~-x-~-~-x-~-x-~

"Lord Eliwood." Eliwood turned away from the windowsill to see that Marcus was standing a few feet behind him. He hadn't even noticed him approach.

"…Marcus," he greeted dully.

"You ought to get some sleep, milord. You need your rest after such a grueling day."

Eliwood didn't respond immediately, turning his back to Marcus so he could stare out the window. "I can't." His response was short but his voice sounded broken. He shook his head, his shoulders shaking. "I can't sleep. I've tried, but every time I do…" He trailed off. "I'm a terrible person, aren't I?" His voice was strained. "I killed the woman I love with my very own hands." He was filled with disgust, disgust of himself. He stared down at his palms, and they shook as anger and disgust overpowered him. He wanted to clench his hands into fists and punch the wall and scream and cry until his knuckles were bleeding and his voice was hoarse and his tears were all used and dried.

Marcus had walked up beside Eliwood, eyeing his lord with concern. "It wasn't your fault," he said softly, using a tone that very few had a chance to hear from him, "It was out of your control, milord."

"I was in _complete_ control!" Eliwood shrieked, his voice echoing through the empty chamber. It was unlike him to lose his temper, but he was filled with such rage, filled with such sorrow and disgust of himself that he couldn't control his emotions. "It was by _my_ hands that Ninian was killed! _Me! I_ did it!"

"No," Marcus repeated, his voice suddenly firm and crisp, losing its softness. He remained calm, speaking with the authority he spoke with when training knights. "It was by Nergal's hands, not yours. Your father, Lady Ninian – it was all Nergal's doing. Never yours."

Eliwood said nothing.

Marcus softened. "You need your time to grieve, of course, milord – so much has happened to you in such little time – but remember that none of it was ever your fault. The circumstances you were in…they were simply beyond your control." He clamped a hand on his shoulder, and it surprised Eliwood so much that he glanced back at his Paladin. Marcus smiled warmly at him. "You're a strong man, Lord Eliwood. I've always admired that about you. It never ceases to amaze me how you've managed to stay true to yourself, standing strong."

"…I'm barely standing," Eliwood argued softly.

"But standing nonetheless," Marcus pointed out. Then, much to Eliwood's great surprise, Marcus reached out and shoved Eliwood – and none too lightly. Eliwood stumbled back, falling on his rear.

"What was that for?" His voice was high in surprise. He stood back up. Marcus didn't respond, taking a step forth and shoving Eliwood again. This time, though, his lord stood resolutely.

"You see?" Marcus's smile was soft and genuine, a rare sight. "You may have fallen at first, but you just got right back up. And once you got up, you refused to fall down."

"…Thank you, Marcus." He offered him a small smile of appreciation.

Marcus smiled back. "Of course." He bowed deeply. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be heading off to bed now. I recommend you do the same, milord." He began to walk off, but paused at the doorway. "Just remember, milord: get up more times than you fall."

Eliwood smiled. "I'll remember."

* * *

><p><em>I know, this is kinda a heavy chapter. The Ostian castle turned out be a rather depressing place to be at night...but it had to be done. I'm not sure if it was such a good idea compiling all this emotional stuff in one chapter, but timing-wise this is what worked out best.<em>

_Only two to four chapters left! :O_


	26. Chapter 26

The room was filled with bellows and laughs of pirates as they all welcomed their old crewmate back. Mead and whiskey was passed around the room until every last pirate had a bottle in his hairy hand. Chatter and excitement swept through the air as Dart made his way around the room, greeting all his friends. Eventually, they all seated themselves and eyed Dart with interest.

"So, tell us 'bout yer travels," called a pirate who wore a patch over his one of his eyes.

"Aye, what's it been like, bein' a land lubber?" hollered another. Laughs and snickers followed his comment.

"I missed the sea, I can tell ye that," Dart said with a grin. Men chortled and nodded in understanding. "Hell, I missed the damn lot o' ye, as much I don't wanna admit it."

"Wish we could say the same 'bout ye!" shouted a pirate from the back. This ensued a wave of snickers to go about the room.

"Oh, ye know ol' Blue's just kiddin'," said a redheaded pirate closest to Dart. He grinned widely. A golden tooth winked at Dart. "We all missed yer crazy arse."

"My arse _was_ the finest thing aboard the ship," Dart pointed out, grinning.

"Not no more it ain't!" laughed a scruffy-looking pirate. "All 'em lovely lady friends o' yers are the finest things to ever walk across this 'ere ship!"

There were hoots and hollers of agreement.

"Alright, alright," Dart called out over the noise. "That's enough." The noise simmered down almost instantly.

"Apologies, mate. I didn't mean no offense," the scruffy pirate said guiltily, hanging his head.

"Oh, I know ye was only kiddin', mate," Dart smiled. "I just want ya'll to be careful when it comes to speakin' 'bout the lady knights. Don't want anybody gettin' the wrong impression."

"Aye, sir."

"Speakin' of women…" the redheaded pirate beside Dart wore a mischievous grin. "Ye claim one o' 'em fine ladies fer yerself?"

Dart's flushed face was a sufficient answer. The room was suddenly filled with roars and cheers and questions like,

"What's 'er name?"

"What's she like?"

"Thatta boy!"

"Stow it, the lot o' ye!" Dart shouted, his red face turning even redder from the exertion. They quickly simpered down, though many of them still wore silly grins. Dart sighed. "Now that the lot o' ye 'ave stopped actin' like a group of li'l schoolgirls…I can say that I don't have myself a woman yet."

"_Yet_," grinned the redhead. "So there's one you're interested in."

Dart cursed underneath his breath, the flush returning to his cheeks.

"C'mon, Dart, tell us 'bout 'er!" he urged. Many of the pirates resumed their questioning again, and Dart slapped a hand to his face in exasperation.

"Alright already! If the lot o' ye promise to stow it, I'll tell ya!"

The room instantly became silent. Realizing that the silence only made him more nervous and embarrassed, Dart tugged at the collar of his shirt and cleared his throat.

"She goes by Florina. Ya'll 'ave probably seen 'er around. Small, pretty lass with lavender hair and sapphire blue eyes." A few murmurs of recognition responded. "She's a Pegasus Knight" – men exchanged grins – "and even though she's real damn shy, she knows how to fend for herself on the battlefield." Dart's smile grew and became lopsided as his eyes sparkled. "She's the sweetest and cutest thing you'll ever meet. An angel she is, I tell ye, sent from St. Elimine 'erself. Mates, I…I think she's the one." He grinned, looking at the faces of men he had become so close to over the years. "I think I might love 'er."

A few men wolf-whistled and hollered as others shouted "congratulations!" Before Dart could get out another word, though, a gruff voice came from the doorway,

"Ye_ think?_ Either ye love the woman or ye don't; which is it?"

Everyone turned to see their Captain leaned against the doorframe, his arms folded across his hairy chest.

"Captain!" Dart cried out in surprise. "What're you doing here?"

"I came 'ere tryin' to figure out why the lot o' ye were makin' so much damn noise. Hey, don't try changing the subject on me!" He took steps forth and pointed at Dart. "Ye answer my damn question! Ye love the girl, or ye don't?"

A silence fell across the room as everybody returned their attention to Dart. He had a faraway look on his face, a small smile on his lips, and when his eyes became focused again he was grinning like a buffoon.

"I love 'er. She's the one."

This ensued more wolf-whistle. Men clapped Dart on the back, congratulating "the lucky bastard" again. Fargus grinned, grabbing a nearby tankard and lifting it into the air. The foam from the ale fizzed over the side and dribbled down his hand.

"To Dart and Florina!" he roared. "I wish ye two the very best of luck!"

"To Dart and Florina!" his crewmates shouted in uniform, raising their mugs as well. Dart scratched his head sheepishly, and then grinned and lifted his own mug. Everyone downed their drinks.

"To Dart and Florina?" a female voice asked, her voice high in surprise. Everyone stopped cheering and clapping instantly, turning their heads toward the source of the sound. Farins stood by the doorway, her arms folded across her chest like Fargus had, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"F-Farina!" Dart sputtered, choking on his drink. He began coughing violently, and the pirate beside him patted him hard on the back. "Wh-what are ye doin' 'ere?!"

"I was wondering what all the noise was about." She glanced about the room. "Florina hasn't told me anything about courting you, Dart." The smirk she wore was sly.

"Aw, damn," Fargus muttered. "Yer gonna 'ave a honkin' load of trouble with a sister-in-name like that; ye best be watchin' yerself." Farina pursed her lips at him, as if offended, but her eyes glittered in amusement. Dart glared at his Captain as he sashayed his way out of the room.

"Thanks, Captain!" he shouted after him. "You've been a load o' help!"

"Anythin' fer ye, mate!" came the response, followed by a chortle, before he disappeared from the room altogether.

Dart rolled his eyes. "As helpful as Pegasus dung," he muttered.

Farina cleared her throat. "Dart? Do you have an explanation for this?"

"I don't got nothing to explain," he retorted, folding his arms across his chest defensively.

"Oh, is that so? Then I suppose I'll just go find Florina and ask her—" She began to turn.

"No!" Dart shouted, jumping to his feet. Farina paused, then turned back toward him. The smirk she wore was absolutely wicked.

"What's the problem?" she purred innocently.

"Farina," Dart growled, making his way toward her, "don't ye dare make a mess o' things."

She sighed, unfolding her arms. He stopped before her. "Fine. I'll keep your little secret…" Her eyes glinted. "…for a price."

Dart groaned, throwing back his head. Of course. "You're a damn witch, you know that?"

Her wicked grin only grew and she laughed. "No, just a good bargainer. Heck, I'll even let you say the starting price."

"I don't have no gold," he deadpanned. Farina's face dropped.

"Hmm…that could be a problem." She put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. She glanced about the room again. Her eyes lit up suddenly as if a revelation had come to her. Dart had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watched her malicious smirk grow even wider. "Say…are any of your pirate friends up for a friendly bet?"

~-x-~-~-x-~-~-x-~-

"Jasmine."

Said tactician glanced up from her book and was surprised to see Raven leaned against one of the beams that held up her hammock.

"Raven." Her voice conveyed her mild surprise. "Is everything alright?"

He eyed her in concern, unfolding his arms and walking closer towards her. "You've been studying so hard lately," he said softly. "Don't you think it's about time you take a break?"

Jasmine frowned. "But…it's the most important time to be brushing up on my tactical skills!"

Raven shook his head. "It's the most important time for you to relax and clear your mind."

She pursed her lips at him. "You sound like Lyn," she muttered. But she sighed and drew herself up. "Fine, then. I reckon you want me to get some sleep."

"Actually," he replied, a little sparkle in his eyes, the corner of his lips curving up ever so slightly, "I was thinking we could take a stroll out on the deck. Like old times."

For a moment she just stared at him in surprise. Then she laughed gently. "Just like old times?" She took the hand he extended towards her and let him pull her up. They kept their hands entwined as they walked up to the deck. "If I recall correctly, we didn't exactly have the nicest time when we were last aboard the Davros."

"When did we ever have a nice time?" Raven teased.

"Hmm. Good point." She squeezed his hand affectionately. "It's hard to have a good time when you're around such a jerk." The corner of her lips curled up. He scowled at her.

"Should you really be talking?"

"Don't get me started."

They stopped by the railing. It was dark out, but there was still quite a bit of commotion from within one of the cabins – it sounded like the pirates were celebrating – and there were other members of the army walking quietly about the deck.

"Can you believe it?" Jasmine said softly, looking out toward the sea. "We're so close to finally defeating Nergal and finishing this war once and for all…just so close."

Raven stared at her for a moment before he spoke. "I actually wanted to talk to you about that." She turned toward him. He paused, suddenly feeling hesitant and awkward for bringing up the conversation. But it had to be done. "Once the war is over, what do you-"

"Why, if it isn't the lovely couple!" An arm draped around each of them, and Legault's face popped up between them. Jasmine laughed in surprise as Raven scowled. He pushed Legault's arm off of himself. Legault frowned at him, then walked his way around them so he stood beside Jasmine. He leaned over the railing so that he could see both of them clearly.

"Why, if it isn't the lovely Legault," Jasmine teased.

"Hear that, pretty boy? She called me lovely." He grinned widely at Raven. The redhead responded by rolling his eyes. "Taking a romantic walk around the ship together, are you?" Legault continued, grinning his carefree grin. Jasmine shot him a warning look as Raven absolutely glowered at him. "Aw, come now. I always knew from the start that there was something between you two – didn't I say so when we first met? – and now that the secret's actually out, you're going to act all coy about it?"

"The secret's out?" Raven repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What d'you mean?" He recalled his conversation with Sain. _Word travels fast, my friend._

Legault raised an eyebrow in turn, though not in the questioning way Raven had done so. It was a 'how can you be so oblivious' raise of the eyebrow. "Public displays of affection usually mean that a man and woman have devoted themselves to one another."

The two blushed slightly as they glanced down at their entwined hands.

"Psh, you think that I'm talking about your hands?" Legault sighed and shook his head, as if he couldn't believe the stupidity of his companions. "I'm talking about all the smooching you two have been doing!"

They blushed harder. Most people wouldn't have been able to see their blushes through the dark, but Legault was not like most people.

"W-we haven't…done any of that in public!" Raven spluttered.

Legault smirked wickedly. "The way you say that makes me wonder how much you've been doing in private."

Jasmine gasped. "Legault!"

He winked. His face fell instantly as he saw that Raven was drawing up the sleeves of his shirt and flexing his fists.

"You won't let your boyfriend hurt me, will you?" He pouted at Jasmine. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"After what you just said? I think you deserve it." Though she tried to make her voice harsh, the smile on her lips gave her away.

"Oh, c'mon! Scar buddies before boyfriends, they say!"

"What?" Jasmine laughed, shaking her head. "I've never heard anybody say that before."

Legault frowned at her. "Really? It's quite the well-known saying."

Jasmine rolled her eyes, then glanced over at Raven, who was still glowering at Legault. She gently placed a hand against his arm. "You've scared him enough; be nice." He glared at her instead, and she rolled her eyes.

Legault watched their interaction with a small smile on his face. "Your friend Mark would be happy for you two, I would think."

They turned back to him in surprise. He merely flashed a grin in return.

"I suppose it's time for me to bid you two goodnight." He drew his cloak back in that mockingly dramatic way of his as he bowed. When he straightened up, he sent them both a quick wink. "Don't get in too much trouble." And he disappeared into the shadows before either of them could reply.

Jasmine chuckled softly and shook her head. "Oh, that Legault."

"I wish I was as amused as you," Raven grumbled.

"Oh, lighten up, Raven," she teased gently. "He wasn't being too bad."

"He interrupted our conversation!" he protested.

"Oh…right. What were we saying?" She frowned, trying to remember.

He stared at her for a quiet moment. "We were saying that it was getting late out," he lied. "We should head on back to get some sleep."

Jasmine's frown only deepened. "Really? But I thought we'd just gotten out here!"

"We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Raven replied. "C'mon, let's get some sleep."

Jasmine smiled after a moment, and together they walked back to their hammocks for a good night's rest. Although Jasmine would never know, Raven lay awake half of the night, staring at her sleeping figure and wondering just what she would've replied if he'd finished asking his question.

~-x-~-~-x-~-~-x-~-

Farina eyed the man before her through hazy eyes. All she could see was a blurry figure of red. Through the eyes of a sober person, he or she would've clearly seen that the blur was in fact a pudgy red-faced pirate. But since there wasn't a single sober person in the entire room, nobody could tell exactly who the blob of red was. Instead, they did the only thing they could: they cheered for him, regardless of who he was. As long as Farina lost, that was all they cared about.

Farina, however, wasn't going down without a fight. Dart placed a bottle in front of her and in front of the red-faced pirate, and then took a few steps back. Farina narrowed her eyes at the blur of red, making him even blurrier. There was no way that she was going to let a blob take that pile of gold that lay between them on the table.

"On your mark…get set…drink!" Dart shouted, throwing his arm down. He stumbled back a few steps, and a nearby pirate grabbed him. They glanced at each other and laughed like a pair of hyenas, apparently finding the moment hysterical.

Farina grasped the mug of ale in front of her and downed it without hesitation. Somebody threw her another mug, and she drank it all too. She and the pirate kept doing this until, finally, after about seven mugs, the red-faced pirate spluttered. The alcohol dribbled down his mouth as he slammed his nearly-fully mug back onto the table. Groaning, he yelled defeat right before his face fell forward onto the table. He was asleep instantly, and two pirates had to drag him out of his seat. Even then, he didn't stir. Rather, he snored the entire while, drool beginning to dribble down his mouth.

"I win again!" Farina squealed drunkenly, laughing. There were annoyed murmurs and cusses about the men as they eyed her with displeasure. Although Dart's secret may have been safe now, they couldn't help but be aggravated that they had lost so much of their hard-earned gold.

There was a sudden disruption from the rear of the room, where pirates were cursing and shouting in surprise. Frowning, Farina glanced up to see a teal blob heading her way.

Fiora stopped before her sister, placing her hands on her hips. This earned her many wolf-whistles, and she glanced sharply over her shoulder. Farina sniggered into her gold.

"Oi!" Dart shouted, staggering his way toward the center of the room so that everyone could hear him properly. "Enough o' that! I don't care 'ow damn drunk the lot o' ye be; ye be respectful!"

The pirates muttered in response, some in apology while others in annoyance, but the wolf-whistles ended there.

"Dart!" Fiora cried out in surprise, turning toward him. "Just what on earth is going on here?!"

Dart turned toward her sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. He may have had a few drinks himself, but he wasn't so inebriated that he couldn't tell who the blurry figure of teal was. "Uh…hey, Fiora." He chuckled uneasily. "Well, ye see 'ere, Farina came up with this idea to have a friendly bet amongst me and me shipmates…"

"Oh, for St. Elimine's sake!" Fiora exclaimed as she realized where this was going. "How could you let this get so out of control?!"

"Aw, c'mon," Farina moaned at her sister, realizing that the teal blob sounded and acted like Fiora, "lighten up, Sis. We were just havin' some fun. Besides, it was my idea; don't blame him."

Dart looked at Farina gratefully. Fiora frowned, turning her attention on her instead.

"Both of you are to blame for this," she said firmly. Dart's face fell as Farina scrunched her nose in annoyance. "We'll discuss this later. Now, c'mon, we need to get you to bed." She made a move to grab her arm, but Farina pulled her away, shaking her head furiously.

"Nuh-uh! I'm not done playing yet!" She pouted. "I mean, just _look_ at how much gold I've already won!" She gestured to the overflowing pile of gold before her, a wide, drunken grin spilling across her lips. "Think about how much more I'd make if I kept drinking!"

Fiora sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Not everything's about money, Farina." Her sister stiffened, the drunken smile slipping off her face. "This is a stupid game and you're making a fool of yourself."

"Yeah? Well at least I'm having fun," she snarled defensively. "Do you even know what fun is, Sis?"

Fiora's face reddened. "Oh, I've had enough!" She grasped onto Farina's elbow and yanked her, but Farina tugged back, shaking her head and wrapping her arms around the gold.

"She's right, Farina," Dart mumbled. Though he was also inebriated, he didn't have it as bad as she did; he still had some sense of judgment. "We had our fun, don't yah think? It's 'bout time we get some sleep so we can at least try to make that blasted hangover we'll have tomorrow not as bad."

Farina pursed her lips, but then she hung her head in defeat. Fiora raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You're right," Farina hiccupped. "Kent and Lord Hector will kill me if they see how hung over I am tomorrow." She then tilted her head back to grin up at Dart. "Y'know, you're really not all that bad. I think you'll take good care of Florina."

Dart flushed as Fiora glanced at him sharply. "What? Florina? What're you talking about?" she questioned Farina, though her eyes were still trained on Dart. He seemed uncomfortable at her stare, and looked the other way.

"Oh, don't worry 'bout it." She waved her away. "Now, who's gonna carry me to my bed and who's gonna carry my gold to-" She cut herself off, a hand over her mouth.

"Oh shi-" started Dart. But it was too late. Farina leaned over her chair, lowered her hand, and upchucked all the ale she'd had. The pirates all about them moaned or laughed about what'd just happened, and some even toasted Farina. Fiora glared at them all as she leaned over her sister in concern, rubbing her back and asking her if she was okay.

Dart made a face at the mess. "I think the really question ought to be: who's gonna clean that up?"

* * *

><p>Waves gently licked the ship, spraying salt water onto Sain's face. He looked unaffected, though, still staring contemplatively out at the sea. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the quiet patter of footsteps approaching him.<p>

"Hey," came a voice from beside him. Sain jumped in surprise, turning quickly to see Jasmine leaned against the railing beside him. She smiled lightly up at him, though he saw a hint of apprehension in her eyes. He smiled back at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Winter flower," he greeted, "to what do I owe this surprise?"

"I saw you standing out here for a while," she replied. "Are you feeling okay? Maybe seasick?"

He shook his head, his smile softening. "I'm alright. As touched as I am that you would wrinkle that beautiful brow of yours out of concern for me, there's no need to worry."

She hesitated a moment, those brows of her still wrinkled in worry. "If there's something bothering you, you know you can always tell me anything. I'm your friend." She smiled, lightly placing a hand on his arm.

Something flickered in Sain's expression, and his smile became more genuine. "And an excellent friend at that." He paused, glancing back out toward the sea. "…Jasmine, I have a question for you."

She was surprised at his sudden seriousness. "Yes?"

He glanced at her. "What do you plan on doing after the war?"

His question seemed to have taken her aback. "What?" she asked, as if she hadn't heard properly. He raised his eyebrows in surprise at her, and then he softened.

"So you don't know yet either, huh?" He smiled slightly.

She shook her head sheepishly. "I haven't thought about it, to be honest." She paused. _"Once the war is over, what do you-"_ Is that what Raven had wanted to ask her? "Actually…I think I've been trying to _avoid_ thinking about it."

"You?" Sain said in surprise. "You never came off to me as the type to run away from such matters."

"You'd be surprised," she replied, rather darkly. "Sorry." She smiled apologetically at the shocked expression she received. "It's just…I'm scared," she admitted. "I'm scared of the unknown. Always have been, I guess. Even though I've been getting a lot at better at embracing whatever comes my way…I'm always a little afraid of what might just happen."

He offered a sympathetic look. "Being on the battlefield must rattle your nerves, then."

She laughed. "You can say that again. Remember what a nervous wreck I was when we first met?"

"You weren't a nervous wreck," he argued. "All I remember was a determined young woman trying her very best to keep her friends safe."

She nudged him gently. "You're sweet, y'know that?" She smiled up at him. "Priscilla's a lucky girl."

His response wasn't what she expected. Instead of lighting up, he saddened; his eyes misted over and his smile shrunk. "I'm not so sure about that," he murmured softly, looking away.

Jasmine frowned at him. "What do you mean? What has she said to make you think that?" she huffed, instantly feeling defensive of Sain.

He shook his head, sighing. "She only said what we both wanted to avoid speaking of." He hesitated, then looked back at Jasmine. "She asked about our future. She's under the impression that we'll never…that it's not possible for us to be together, let alone be wed. That our paths won't cross; I, a knight in Caelin, and she, a noble of Eutria."

Jasmine frowned deeper. "That doesn't sound like her to be so demeaning."

He shook his head again. "She wasn't being demeaning; she was merely pointing out the fact that, as a knight, I have sworn my loyalty to Caelin and would not be able to accompany her back to Eutria."

"But you love her," she replied, beginning to understand why he was so confused about what to do. "And you want to be with her."

He nodded and smiled painfully, though he said nothing. A long moment of silence followed as each got lost in their train of thought. Jasmine wondered what she would've told Raven if he'd finished his question and asked her if she had any plans after the war (that was, of course, assuming that they defeat Nergal).

Would she have responded in the same way she'd just responded to Sain? That she just didn't know? Or would she have told him that it didn't matter, as long as she was with him? Or maybe she would've-

Jasmine stopped herself, shaking her head. It was pointless, thinking what could've been. What was important was focusing on the now, of the choices she would make in the present.

"I think," she spoke at last, "that we should go by first instinct." She smiled at herself, realizing how silly she must've sounded, but how true it all was. "That's what we've all always relied on battle, after all, isn't it? Instinct. You haven't a moment to lose, because your life's on the line; you always have a quick decision you need to make. This is the same thing. We act, choosing the path we instinctively feel is right, and then we pray for the best."

She paused, smiling up at Sain. "Well, that's what I think, anyway."

He grinned back. "Don't you know by now that we all take your tactical advice – which is basically your thought process – very seriously? Really, though," he added as she opened her mouth to speak, "I think what you're saying makes sense. As a matter of a fact, it makes so much sense that I'm going to follow that advice." He smiled genuinely at her, one that finally reached his eyes.

"I think I'm going to follow my advice too," she said, laughing a little as she realized how cocky it must've made her.

"I'm proud of you, Jasmine." She raised her eyebrows in surprise; where had that come from? "You've become a lot more confident in yourself over the time I've known you," he explained, his smile widening. "Heck, I think you finally believe in yourself as much as we all believe in you."

She smiled back at him. "I think you're right." She paused. "Thank you, Sain. Thank you for always being there to support me and for always being there to put a smile on my face. I couldn't have made it this far without you." She opened her arms toward him, smiling even wider, and he grinned as he embraced her.

"I should be the one thanking you," he murmured to her. "You've always been there to keep me on my toes and have always been watching out for me. So thank you. You're the greatest sister a guy could ask for." He released her, grinning innocently down at her.

"You're being too darn sweet! I-" She suddenly cut herself short, her eyes turning wide as orbs. She shook her head. "Wait…did you just say _sister_?"

His grin broadened even more. "I sure did!"

It took a moment for her to fit the pieces together, but when she did, she began to laugh. "It seems like you've already made up your mind about what you're going to do after the war, huh?"

He grinned widely, nodding.

"And apparently what I'm doing too," she added, shaking her head and smiling. "But, hey, I actually kinda like the idea of having an older brother…"

"I've always wanted a younger sister," Sain admitted. "So that I could go and tell all the guys to back away from her!"

She raised an eyebrow, smiling in amusement. "So you're gonna tell Raven to back away from me?"

Sain's eyes widened in alarm and he tugged at the collar of the shirt. "Err…well…the situation's a bit different…"

She laughed and was about to tell him that she was only teasing when Kent shouted for Sain. They both turned to see the redheaded Paladin rushing their way.

"Oh, good morning, Jasmine," Kent greeted as he caught sight of the brunette. She smiled and politely greeted him in return. "Say…have either of you two seen Farina?"

"No, I haven't," Jasmine replied, shaking her head.

"I can't say I have either," Sain said. He was wearing a sly smirk. "Why're you looking for her, anyways?" Jasmine glanced at him questioningly.

"To lecture her," Kent deadpanned. He was frowning. "Fiora told me that Farina'd been up drinking with the pirates last night." He shook his head in disapproval, sighing. "Really, it's no time to fool around when we're so close to ending this war…we all need to keep our focus." He sighed again, and this time he rubbed his temple. "I have no idea what I'm going to do about that girl."

Sain's smirk became even slyer. "Why are you always so concerned about her? Farina this, Farina that…there are plenty of others causing mischief around the army." Here he looked pointedly at Jasmine, who gaped at him and then pursed her lips. He winked at her before returning his attention to his redheaded – and now red-faced – friend.

"You-" he started, but Sain cut him off, nodding toward other side of the ship.

"Say, isn't that the blue-haired beauty over there?"

Kent turned on his heels and caught sight of said Ilian knight. She was walking slowly, with a hand on her forehead, her face a ghostly pale. Kent's expression softened and he excused himself to the brunette pair before making his way toward Farina. Sain and Jasmine watched as he approached her. Farina instantly straightened up when she saw Kent heading her way, and they appeared to argue at first (Farina arguing more, it seemed) until Farina simpered down and let Kent walk her back down below deck.

"My boon companion's a lucky man, isn't he?" Sain said, grinning down at Jasmine. "To have found such a beautiful woman to fall in love with…sure, she might be some work, but I think they really bring out the best of each other."

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Jasmine shook her head. "Unbelievable, really, to think that we can all find love in the middle of a raging war…"

"I think," Sain argued, "in times of war people learn the most about each other. Even in a short period they know the habits of their comrades; what time they wake up, what their favorite meal is…so, honestly, I think that it's no wonder people bond and become close to one another – and yes, even close enough to fall in love."

Jasmine was quiet, contemplating his words. Then she smiled. "I think you might just be right about that." Sain smiled in return. "Say, speaking of favorite meals…do you think they're serving-"

"Carrot stew?" Sain interrupted, grinning widely. "I don't know, let's go take a look, shall we?" As they made their way towards the kitchen, he asked her, "But if they don't have carrot stew, do you think they might be serving-"

"Roasted chicken and potatoes?" Jasmine asked, smirking. "For breakfast…I'm not so sure, but let's hope so."

It turned out that neither of their favorites were being served. Rather, it was Marcus's favorite (which must've been why the Paladin was standing at the front of the line) – eggs and toast. Jasmine and Sain glanced at each other, laughed, and told Marcus that they hoped he would enjoy his meal, despite the strange look they received in return.

~-x-~-~-x-~-~-x-~-

She felt like she was flying.

This is what it felt like, being high up in the air, hearing the wind rush in her ears, taking in the deep and fresh air around her.

However, it wasn't quite the same. Instead of sitting on her soft and fluffy Huey, she was standing. And she didn't feel so almighty and powerful as she so often did when she flew – she always felt like she could take on the world, because it felt so miniscule in comparison – rather, she felt apprehensive. The reason that lay behind her nerves was, instead of Huey as her companion, she had Dart. The pirate stood by her side, and rather close at that. Though they weren't quite touching, all she had to do was move her hand a fraction of an inch and she would bump into him.

"Ye ain't scared, are ye?" Dart asked, catching her nervous look and thinking it was because of the height. "I assumed ye wouldn't mind that it's so high up 'ere since you're always up on your Pegasus in the sky, but if ye ain't comfortable-"

She shook her head, smiling up at him. "I-I'm alright," she said softly. It was sweet of him to worry.

Dart smiled in return. He had a really rather handsome smile. It was much softer and gentler than one would initially think he would have. "Okay, if ye say so." He returned his attention at the sea, relaxed. Whenever Dart got a hangover, he would have a cupful of the strongest tea and wobble up on to the crow's nest to relax. It always cleared his mind up there because it was so quiet and peaceful.

So it was a bit of a spur of the moment decision when asked Florina if she'd accompany him to the crow's nest. He'd thought that it might be nice to have a moment alone with her, but he'd assumed that she would probably decline his offer. He could say he had been quite surprised when the Falcon Knight had glanced away shyly, ducking her head and murmuring a barely audible, "O-okay..."

Florina peeked at Dart through the corner of her eye. Incidentally, Fiora had told Florina to stay clear of Dart this morning, muttering something about "gambling" and "bad influence." Then, right after Fiora had left in search of Heath, Farina had come by (perhaps she'd actually been waiting for Fiora to leave?), telling her lavender-haired sister (while looking sickly pale, much to Florina's dismay) to ignore Fiora's advice and to do what Florina felt was right. Dart was a good guy, after all. What was so wrong with spending some time with him? Florina was unable to reply or comment, because Farina had scrambled away when Lucius had arrived to tell her that Kent was looking for her.

Florina realized she could ask Dart if her sisters' strange behavior made any sense to him, but she didn't want to burden him with questions. Then she realized how much time they had spent in silence. She berated herself for being so silent; after all, he had invited her up here, and now here she was, being rude by knowingly ignoring him. But what would she say? What if she said something stupid and uninteresting? What if-

"D-Dart?" She didn't even realize that words were spilling out of her mouth before they were spoken. He turned to her, clearly surprised that she had spoken before being spoken to.

"Aye?" Instantly he looked concerned. "Ye alright?"

She smiled meekly, nodding. "I…I j-just wanted to…to thank you." His eyebrows shot up. "F-for…bringing me up here." She took in a deep breath. "It…it was very nice of you."

His cheeks tinged pink. He scratched the back of his bandana, smiling sheepishly. "Err…yeah, it's no problem at all. I'm glad you're enjoyin' it." He paused, trying to continue the conversation. "Is it kinda like flyin', bein' up here?"

Her smile widened, and she nodded. "B-but even better," she squeaked out, her face turning a bright shade of red.

"Better?" Dart asked questioningly. "How so?"

She fidgeted with her fingers, glancing down at her boots. It took a couple moments for her to respond, and at first it wasn't even by words. Dart felt something warm and soft loop through his fingers, and he looked down to see that Florina had taken his hand in hers. He felt his own face heat up.

"B-because…because…" She looked up at him, her eyes making contact with his. Although her voice shook and the fingers he held trembled, she made sure to maintain eye contact with him. "Because I'm with you."

Dart flushed a deep shade of red. Florina hadn't even realized that he could turn so red! Out of both surprise and anxiety, she let out a small laugh, unable to stop herself.

"Wh-what's funny?" Dart grumbled, feeling even more embarrassed.

"I-I'm so s-s-sorry!" Florina stuttered, feeling terrible. "It's…it's just…"

"Ye didn't think I could blush so hard, eh?" Dart grinned, though he was still blushing. "Well, I didn't know so either! Too bad I don't look as cute as you do when you blush!"

"D-Dart!" she squealed in embarrassment.

"What? It's true! Aw, to hell with it! I can't take this any longer!" Taking her other hand, he turned her so that they were directly looking at one another. Florina, flustered and aghast at his abruptness, simply gaped at him in shock. "Florina, there's something I've been wantin' to tell ye fer some time now. I-"

"FLORINA!" a voice shouted. They both turned to see Fiora, riding atop Makar, making her way toward them. Dart cursed underneath his breath. When she got closer to them, Dart could practically see the daggers she was shooting his way with her eyes. "What did I tell you about spending time with Dart?!"

"What?" Dart growled angrily. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Fiora all but ignored him. Florina seemed too shocked to really say anything. "C'mon, Florina, we're about to dock. It's dangerous to stay up here." Here she shot another venomous look Dart's way.

Florina glanced back at Dart. "B-but Sis…!"

"No but's. C'mon." She extended her hand toward her youngest sister. Florina sighed.

"I…I'm sorry," she murmured to Dart, looking truly crestfallen. He smiled reassuringly at her, squeezing her hand.

"It's not your fault. Go on, now."

She offered him one last apologetic glance before taking her sister's hand and jumping on the back of Makar. Fiora threw Dart one last hateful glare before flying off. Dart watched them leave silently.

So Farina was not the sister he had to watch out for. No, it was that innocent-looking Fiora he had to keep an eye on…

"Game on," he smirked.

* * *

><p><em>So, Chapter 26 is finally complete! I seriously had so much trouble writing this chapter for some reason...I kept working on and off at it for a good two months before I just ended doing the entire thing in one go yesterday. Hey, at least it worked out, right?<em>

_I realized that this chapter focused quite a lot on Dart and Florina, but I just can't help myself. Turns out I really like the idea of them together (and all the drama it brings having those sisters, of course!) :P I also realized that this is the longest interaction of Raven and Jasmine we've seen since they confessed their love for each other, so it was kinda interesting to show how they interacted afterwards. Still teasing towards each other, but in a more affectionate way. _

_So, there are only two chapters left. I've officially decided so. I just hope I can finish it before summer ends. O.O_


	27. Chapter 27

"…And then we finish Nergal," Jasmine finished softly. She gently trailed her fingers across the roughly-sketched map of the Dragon's Gate (courtesy of Jaffar). Her gaze became distant.

Hector grunted in response. "About time, if you ask me." He glanced at the other two lords, but, like Jasmine, they both seemed to be in a trance. Eliwood had his hands clasped together, hunched over so that his elbows rested on his thighs and his chin rested on his hands. His eyebrows were furrowed deeply in thought. Lyn was silent as well. Her eyes were closed, her head lowered. Hector opened his mouth to say something – "why are you all so darn quiet? We should be celebrating!" – but changed his mind, clamping his mouth shut. Instead, he folded his arms across his chest, leaned back in his chair, and considered everything they had been through up to that very second. A sudden silence fell through the tent, as each individual became immersed in his or her thoughts.

Lyn, as she thought of her grandfather and of Sacae. Eliwood, as he thought of his late father and of Ninian. Jasmine, as she thought about how much she'd grown as a person. Hector, as he thought of his brother.

It was the sound of somebody clearing his throat from outside the tent that snapped everybody out of their trances. They jumped up, glancing about as if they'd just heard an explosion.

"Milords?" It was Marcus's voice outside the tent.

"Marcus? Please, come in," Eliwood called out, clearing his throat. He straightened up. Marcus came in a second later. Although he looked as good in shape as ever, Eliwood could tell that the day had taken a toll on his trusted Paladin. Even Marcus would be exhausted after a day like this. Fighting through two armies – the leaders of which were morphs – was not an easy task. And then spending the rest of the day preparing for tomorrow's battle…it was a surprise that everyone wasn't falling asleep right where they stood. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, milord. However, this is something amiss…"

Eliwood frowned. "What's that?"

Marcus smiled slightly. "I think the army is missing the company of their lords and tactician."

Eliwood raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then he laughed. Hector and Lyn exchanged smiles. It was unlike Marcus to ask them to take a load off; he was usually all for working hard. His concern for them was really rather touching.

"Well, if that's the case, I suppose we should join them before they start a riot," Eliwod joked.

Hector laughed. "Good idea. We don't want them burning down our tent!"

"I just hope we're not too late," joked Lyn, smiling.

"Only one way to find out," laughed Jasmine, and gestured towards the tent flap.

Hector grinned, marching out of the tent first. He clapped Marcus on the shoulder as he passed him. Lyn smiled at him and touched his arm as she passed, murmuring a quiet "thank you". Jasmine passed him with a nod and a smile. Eliwood was the last to exit, smiling as he pulled Marcus along with him.

"Thank you for doing that, Marcus."

"Anytime, milord. Don't forget that resting from time to time is a good thing to do." He smiled warmly, making his eyes crinkle.

"I should say the same to you."

Marcus chuckled. "Touché, milord. Touché." He bowed and made a move as if to leave, but Eliwood stopped him.

"Wait, Marcus." Marcus turned back around, eyebrows raised in expectation.

"Yes, milord?"

Eliwood grasped his arm and smiled warmly. "Thank you...for everything. You are more than just my most trusted soldier. You're one of my closest friends."

Something flickered in Marcus's eyes – it was too quick for Eliwood to decipher exactly what it was – but he quickly regained his composure. "It is my utmost honor and privilege, milord Eliwood." He bowed deeply. When he straightened up, he placed his hand on Eliwood's shoulder. He smiled softly. "I believe your father would be very proud of you."

"...Thank you," he whispered. "I hope that's true."

"I'm certain it is. I know I certainly am proud of you." Eliwood felt something swell in his chest, and he realized it was pride and joy in himself to know that he had made Marcus proud. "You've become a fine gentleman, Lord Eliwood, and I know Pherae will flourish under your kind and strong leadership."

Eliwood smiled. "Thank you, Marcus. You have always been by my side, both on and off the battlefield, teaching me, mentoring me...thank you, thank you, my friend."

"Thank _you_, Lord Eliwood." He smiled and nodded towards the others. "Go on, now, enjoy time with your friends. I've kept you long enough."

Eliwood laughed. "Alright, alright, I'm going. You enjoy yourself now, too, you hear?"

Marcus chuckled, nodding. "Yes, milord."

They parted ways, and when Eliwood returned to Jasmine, Lyn, and Hector, he wasn't surprised to see that Lyn and Hector were in another one of their arguments. He sighed, plopping down on the grass beside Jasmine.

"Come now, you two, won't you stop arguing, just this once?"

"Don't count on it," Jasmine chimed in before either Lyn or Hector could respond. "You should know as well as I do, Eliwood." She grinned at Lyn and Hector. "It's nearly impossible to stop those two once they get started."

Lyn huffed, pursing her lips. Hector scowled. "You shouldn't be talking," he retorted. "You and Raven probably argue as much, if not more, than us!"

"That's because Raven's such a jackass," she mumbled, sighing in irritation. Hector raised his eyebrows in surprise, and Lyn shot him a 'why would you say that?' look.

"I'm sure Raven didn't really mean what he said," Lyn said, trying to lighten up Jasmine's mood. "He was just angry, so he spoke without really thinking."

"Oh, no, he meant what he said," Jasmine replied bitterly. "He's just so damn stupid and stubborn to realize that _he's_ the one who's wrong, not me." Lyn didn't know how to respond, so she said nothing.

It was then that Hector realized what the two women were talking about. Without saying anything, he stood up. Eliwood frowned up at him.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"For a walk," Hector replied, grunting and stretching his limbs. "Sitting down for hours has gotten me all stiff. I need to walk around."

"That actually sounds like a good idea," laughed Eliwood, placing a hand against his back and grimacing as he stretched it.

"I...actually kinda wanted to go out on my own," Hector said, as Eliwood began to get up. His best friend paused, looking at Hector with his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Oh." He paused and cleared his throat. "Alright. I understand." He smiled. "Enjoy your walk."

"Don't have too much fun without me," he winked, grinning.

"It's the only time we _can_ have fun," Lyn teased, her eyes twinkling. Hector scowled at her.

"We'll see how you feel about that after he leaves," Jasmine snickered softly. Lyn turned to her, eyebrows raised. Hector also raised his eyebrows, but there was an amused smirk upon his lips.

"What does that mean?" Lyn huffed, her cheeks tinging pink. Jasmine merely grinned in response.

"Glad I get to stay out of this argument," Hector chortled, waving as he began to walk off. Eliwood had to admit that it was a rather smart move on Hector's part.

"Don't go too far!" Jasmine shouted after him. Hector waved her off in response. "Or else Lyn will miss you too much," she added, in a lower voice, snickering into her sleeve. Lyn gasped, her face turning redder.

"J-Jasmine! What is with you?!"

"Just trying to help out," she giggled, shrugging. Lyn narrowed her eyes at her.

"Trying to help out how, exactly?"

"More like who," she grinned mischievously. Eliwood chuckled as he watched them banter. At least Jasmine was back to herself (though she was acting a little more devilish than usual). Shaking his head, he smiled as he turned to watch Nils play his song.

When Nils played his flute, he got lost in his music, just like whenever Ninian had danced she would get lost within the rhythm of the music and rhythm of her feet.

_She was lost to the world, as she was always was whenever she danced. Her bare feet skimmed through the grass, moving with such fluidity and grace that she appeared to be floating her way through the grass. She moved her limbs with such ease and poise that it seemed as easy and natural as breathing (perhaps to her it was but certainly not to him!). _

_She stopped when the song came to an end, and she slowly opened her eyes. She blushed hard when the army erupted into cheers and claps for her, and he smiled to himself._

"...wood? Did you hear me?"

Eliwood blinked out his reverie. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked if you had any ideas about what we could all – as an army – do together," Lyn said. "That's what Hector and I'd been arguing about just now, actually. I thought it'd be a good idea for everyone to come together and enjoy their last full night together."

"That certainly sounds like a good idea, but I'm not sure just what we could do..." He smiled softly, looking back toward Nils. "If Ninian was here with us, she would dance for everybody, trying to get them to feel more eased...her dancing truly was so calming..." He trailed off, his smile saddening. Jasmine and Lyn glanced at each other.

"...Since she's not here with us," Lyn said slowly, standing up, "maybe we could dance in her place."

Eliwood turned to her, eyebrows knotting. "What?"

Lyn smiled. "Let's dance, Eliwood."

His eyebrows jutted up. "I-I'm not so sure, Lyndis." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It seems a little strange to do it without Ninian..."

"I think she would want us to do this," Lyn smiled softly.

"You think so?"

"Yes. She would want us to have fun. She would want you to be happy." She gently placed a hand on his arm. "C'mon, let's dance. For her."

Eliwood stared at her for a good moment. Then he smiled, taking her hand. "Alright," he said softly. "Let's dance."

Lyn grinned.

~ - ~ - ~ - x - ~ - ~ - ~

Raven knew it'd been a while. He knew he should've returned by now. He knew that Jasmine must've been furious with him. He knew that Lucius and Priscilla must've been worried sick about him.

But it made him want to head back even less. He didn't want to deal with any of it.

Besides, he was still upset with Jasmine's decision. He wasn't nearly as furious as he'd been when she'd first announced it, so many hours ago, but he still disagreed with it. So he knew that if he headed back to camp he might just end up in another argument with her.

Jasmine had earlier announced who would be participating in battle tomorrow. Although there had been some protest from a few (Bartre had luckily been calmed down by Karla, Sain had been shushed by Kent, and Geitz had gotten slapped on back of his head by Dart), most people had been generally respectful of the tactician's decision. After relying on her for such a long time, and trusting her tactics, very few had doubted her choice.

Raven had been among the very few.

He had also been amongst the extreme few who'd let his opinion known. And it hadn't been a simple "'Ey, that ain't fair!" or an aghast "But, winter flower!" that he'd quipped up.

He had initially meant for the discussion between him and Jasmine to be private. But since she'd been so damn _stubborn_, he'd lost his temper and had ended up stomping away in fury. So he was pretty sure that the entire army knew about his opinion.

Priscilla and Lucius had tried to convince him that Jasmine was doing what she felt was the best for the army as a whole, and that it was also the best for him to stay behind as she had said. But he'd shrugged them off without a second thought. They didn't understand the way he felt. It wasn't about the glory of being in the last battle – no, it was about ensuring the safety of his sister and Jasmine.

He'd always watched out for the two of them (though, admittedly, it seemed that it was Jasmine he got out of trouble more often than not). So why not this time? Harken was indeed a strong soldier, and he had years of experience against Raven, but he didn't watch after the others like Raven did. It was Raven who would keep Jasmine and Priscilla safe, not Harken.

When he'd expressed these feelings toward Jasmine, she'd simply replied that Harken was a capable man and that he would keep himself and the others around him safe.

Quit worrying about me, she'd said. Quit worrying about Priscilla. She is capable of defending herself, and I'm capable of avoiding danger. Trust in other people; believe that they will keep us safe.

That was the point at which Raven had angrily stomped off. The fact of the matter was, he knew every soldier in the army was capable of defending not only him or herself, but the others around them; everybody was conscious of everybody else's safety. However, he did not believe that Jasmine was capable of avoiding danger, and he did not believe that anybody could substitute the protection he offered.

It was the crunch of footsteps heading in his direction that took Raven out of his reverie. Immediately he twirled around, a hand on the hilt of his sword, eyes narrowing, shoulders hunching.

"Raven?" It was a deep voice, one he recognized, but certainly not one he'd been expecting. Raising an eyebrow, he relaxed slightly, but his hand stayed on the hilt of his sword. "It's me, Hector. I don't want you jumping out of the bushes and attacking me or anything…"

"What makes you think I'd do that?" Raven asked, finding the irony of the situation rather amusing. What he would've done to do such a thing so many months ago…

Hector's response was between a snort and a laugh, almost as if he understood the irony as well. "I think we both know the answer to that."

Raven's eyebrows furrowed, and he became tense once more. What did that mean?

"Oh, c'mon, Raven. Don't you think it's about time we talked about this?"

"Talk about what?" Raven asked calmly, turning to see Hector stop yards away from him. Hector leaned back against a tree, his hands relaxed by his sides, instead of being folded across his chest, which would've been more natural for his position. It was a sign of peace; a sign that he meant no harm. Raven's eyes narrowed.

Hector raised an eyebrow. "Do we really have to go through all of this?" Raven said nothing. "Listen, I didn't come here to start any problems." Raven raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Actually, I came here to resolve them." He paused, waiting for Raven to respond.

Raven sighed. "Resolve what problems?"

"Resolve some unspoken problems between us. Y'know, the entire 'I want to kill you' deal. Oh, don't look so surprised," he said to Raven's shocked expression. "Surely you must've realized that Matthew gave me all the information about you."

Raven suddenly felt like a complete idiot. He hadn't bothered assessing the situation that had taken place between him and the Ostian spy that night he had tried sneaking into Lord Uther's room. Of course Hector knew about Raven's background if Matthew knew. "So you knew this entire time?"

"Yup." A hint of a smile played upon his lips.

"…Then why haven't you said anything until now?" Raven asked, frowning. Lord Hector of Ostia was not one to keep his mouth shut.

"I was waiting for you to bring it up, actually."

Raven blinked at him, and then he chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "And just what did you expect me to say? 'Lord Hector, although I initially joined this army with the intention to kill you as revenge for the destruction of my home, you don't need to worry now because I gave up my quest for vengeance'?"

Hector shrugged. "Something of the sort."

"That's ridiculous," Raven huffed. "What kind of an idiot do you suppose me to be?"

"I was hoping you would be an honest one."

Raven raised his eyebrows. Then he became silent as he looked away from Hector. At this point, his secret identity wasn't really a secret anymore...what harm could it do to finally tell the truth? Perhaps he could finish this once and for all. He looked back at Hector. "I was worried that, if I spoke the truth, I could jeopardize Priscilla and Lucius's safety. I thought that we might get thrown out of the army on the grounds of conspiracy."

"...Really?" Hector asked, raising an eyebrow. Raven frowned at him.

"What? It's true."

"It's just, that, well...do I really seem like the kind of guy who would do that to you?"

"Yes."

Hector scowled. "I am not! If you came up to me, and you told me the truth, I would've been understanding! I wouldn't have kicked you out! In fact," he straightened up, "I might've even offered to help rebuild Cornwell for you."

Raven's eyes widened. "...What?" his voice was but a murmur.

Hector nodded. "I could help rebuild Cornwell, Raven. I'll be Marquess soon enough"–His eyes flickered somewhat uneasily–"and I'll have the ability to make it happen." He paused. "It wasn't right what Ostia did. I know that. And I want to fix the mistake we've made."

Raven was silent, putting a hand to his forehead as he tried to take it all in. Rebuild Cornwell? Bring back the glory of his former home? Was it truly possible?

...Possible, perhaps, but was it what he wanted? Would bringing it back truly make him...happy?

His answer easily would've been 'yes' so many years ago, but now...now he was a changed man. Killing Hector or Uther would not bring back his parents, and bringing back Cornwell would not bring back the glory of his home. Cornwell was and always would remain a part of him, but he had moved on. It was now nothing more than a pile of ash.

"...That won't be necessary," Raven said, turning his gaze to Hector. "Thank you, however. It...it means a lot to me that you would make such a generous offer."

Hector nodded. "Just thought it was the right thing to do." He didn't pry Raven about his reasoning behind his choice, and Raven was grateful for it. Hector may have been brash and arrogant (in Raven's opinion), but at least he wasn't nosy. "But y'know...I've also been waiting for you to do the right thing too." Raven frowned in confusion. "When are you going to go and apologize to my tactician, huh? We've all grown tired waiting."

Raven's face darkened considerably. "It's none of your business."

"It damn well is!" Hector growled. "She won't be able to rest easy until you apologize, and if she doesn't get enough sleep, then she won't perform well tomorrow. And if she isn't performing her best tomorrow, then the army won't be able to perform their best either, and then Nergal will win and the dragons will come back! All because you didn't get your lazy, stubborn ass up and go apologize to her!"

"Did you think of that story ahead of time, or did you make it up as you go along?"

"I improvised," Hector shrugged. "But that's not the point!"

"Well I suppose the dragons will have to come back, then," huffed Raven, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly, "because I'm not going to apologize to her until she decides to include me in tomorrow's battle."

"How old are you? Five?" Raven glared at him. "You need to quit whining and slap some sense into yourself! Or do I need to slap it into you myself?" He arched an eyebrow.

"That won't be necessary," Raven replied coolly, "since I have my wits about me and I know that I need to be in tomorrow's battle!"

"By God, you're as stubborn as me!" He clamped a hand on Raven's shoulder hard. Raven grimaced. "You need to respect Jas's decision. She's the tactician, and what she says goes."

Stubborn as always, Raven shook his head. He shrugged off Hector's hand. "She's making a mistake," he hissed.

"No, _you're_ making a mistake." Raven silenced, raising his eyebrows. "Jas knows what's best for this army. She _knows_ everybody – not the way that you and I know everybody – she _knows_ them. Their strengths, their weaknesses, their quirks. She knows it all. And I trust her expertise. I'm more than certain that the rest of the army also has faith and trust in her…if they didn't, why else would they bother listening to her advice?" He paused here, looking Raven dead in the eye. "Don't_ you_ trust her?"

"This isn't about trust," Raven hissed angrily.

"Isn't it?" Hector raised his eyebrows. "If you believe in Jas, if you trust that she's making the right choice, then you wouldn't question it."

Raven growled in frustration, kicking up dirt. Damn him for making sense. "I trust her," he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair. He took a step back, looking down at the ground to sigh. "And I know that every soldier here is capable of protecting her. It's just…" He trailed off.

"It's just that she's not within your reach." Hector smiled understandingly. "I kinda know how you feel." He scratched the back of his neck, chuckling softly. Raven raised his eyebrows. "And, well, after that incident at the Water Temple I bet you're a lot more worried about Jas's safety than ever before. But listen to me." He placed a hand on Raven's shoulder again, more gently this time. Surprisingly, Raven didn't shrug it off.

"You have every reason to be worried. I understand that. But worrying won't solve anything. You're just going to have trust that we will take care of her. You're going to have to believe that she is capable of herself." He paused. "Raven, you're going to have to let go of your fears and simply _trust_ us."

Raven became silent. It wasn't as easy as it sounded to do what Hector had asked of him. So many images of what could possibly happen in tomorrow's battle flickered through his mind. Priscilla, lying in a pool of blood from her fallen steed, her ankles twisted. Jasmine, eyes wide as an ax swung toward her head...

_Trust us._

But then there was Serra, healing Priscilla's wounds. There was Hector, slicing through the axe-man's hand as Lyn simultaneously stabbed him from behind.

Raven himself had relied on these soldiers, and he knew of their strength and courage. He knew that they had what it took to keep Jasmine and Priscilla safe, defeat the Black Fang, and stop Nergal once and for all. He knew they were capable of all of this. He simply had to let go of his fears and place his trust – and the lives of his loved ones – in their hands.

"…Alright," he said softly, taking a deep breath of defeat. "Alright."

Hector grinned widely. "Good man!" He released his grip on Raven's shoulder only to slap back down on it. Raven grimaced. "Now hurry up and go apologize to the girl already! Go on now!" He shoved him away, grinning like a proud father.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Raven grumbled, rubbing his shoulder. He began to walk off, but then he paused, glancing back at the Ostian Lord. "...Y'know, you're not too bad, Hector of Ostia."

Hector's grin widened. "You're not too bad yourself, Raven of Cornwell."

Raven smirked at him before making his way back toward camp.

~ - ~ - ~ - x - ~ - ~ - ~

Laughter and joy radiated through the camp. People danced and twirled their around each other in sync with Nils' music, which had livened up considerably. After Lyn and Eliwood had begun to dance, a rather inebriated Bartre had dragged Karla with him to join the lords. Others had soon joined in afterword – Legault and Nino, Pent and Louise, Rebecca and Wil, Sain and Priscilla, Lucius and Serra (despite the blonde's protests) – so that by now the group of circling dancers had become quite large.

Jasmine watched them with a smile on her face. Although Lyn and Eliwood had invited her to join them, she had politely declined. She figured that it would've been difficult and perhaps a tad awkward for Eliwood to continuously switch between the two ladies as they danced. It would've been easier to dance with one partner, but...she wasn't quite sure who to ask. Sain and Legault had already joined in, Hector wasn't there, and she felt too embarrassed to ask anybody else.

"Aren't you going to join in?"

Jasmine glanced up in surprise. Matthew was standing before her, gesturing toward the others. She raised her eyebrows. She and Matthew have barely spoken since that time in Ostia when he'd been upset with her about her treatment toward Jaffar. She felt like snapping something at him, but, given the circumstances (he hadn't said anything in regards to it and, well, it _was_ the night before the final battle...) she decided to converse as she normally would.

"I don't really dance. At all." She paused. "Why aren't you dancing with them? You're nimble on your feet, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't mean I dance much. Besides, I need a partner to do that, and I don't see anyone around here that seems interested…" He made a big deal of glancing about, even going on his tiptoes to pretend that he was searching far and wide. He sighed and shook his head. "Nope. Nobody."

"How about Serra?" Jasmine teased. Matthew made a face but quickly composed himself.

"I wouldn't wanna take her away from Lucius; that'd be just rude!"

Jasmine laughed. "Good point."

"Hey…" He turned towards her slowly. "How about you and I dance?" He acted as if the idea had just come to him.

"Not after the way you just looked past me without a second thought."

"Oh, c'mon! I really didn't see you!"

"You were talking to me a second just before!"

"You didn't seem interested then."

"And now I do?"

"Yup!" he grinned. Jasmine rolled her eyes, mumbling "like that makes sense" underneath her breath. "So," he extended his hand out to her, "what d'you say?"

She stared at his hand for a moment before slowly looking up into his eyes. He was looking down at her expectantly, eyebrows raised in a 'why don't you hurry up?' way. But in his eyes she saw genuine sincerity. So she rolled her eyes and took his hand. "Fine."

"Now that's the spirit!" he grinned, pulling her up. "Let's see just how bad of a dancer you really are!" They headed toward the crowd.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, great. You'll never let me live this down, will you?"

He grinned, stopping to fully face her. "Probably not." He placed a hand against her waist as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. "Ready?"

She grimaced. "Ready as I'll ever be."

He grinned. "Alright then." She almost expected him to suddenly break out in some ridiculously quick dance move that she wouldn't be able to keep up with, but, surprisingly, he took a simply step to the left. Hastily she followed him, and he took a slow step to the right. Then back. Then forward. Then left. Then right. It didn't take Jasmine long to get used to the pattern, and Matthew slowly started speeding it up and incorporating new elements.

"So," Jasmine said after a moment,watching her feet so she wouldn't trip up. She spoke slowly and with great caution. Matthew assumed it was because she was focused on the dancing. "…Jaffar doesn't seem to be harmed, from what I could see." She took a quick peek at his expression. It was then that Matthew realized that she'd been speaking cautiously because she wanted to talk about the subject delicately. He knew it was coming up soon. In fact, the entire reason he'd asked her to dance was for them to be on good terms again.

"…I almost did it," he said, his voice betraying no emotions. Jasmine raised her eyebrows but said nothing. "But then…then I saw her." His voice became thick now. "She told me not to do it."

"…She really was a smart woman, wasn't she?" She smiled softly. He smiled back, his eyes flickering.

"Yeah. She was great."

A moment of silence passed between them.

Matthew cleared his throat. "So, is this the best you got?" he asked, referring to Jasmine's dancing. "Just what kind of a tactician are you?"

"Oh, shut up," she mumbled. "What does being a tactician have to do with dancing?"

"Well, for one, dancing requires some tactic skills. You see the pattern we're dancing in, right? That counts as tactics."

"I guess…" She sounded unconvinced.

"And you have to be ready for the unexpected."

Her eyes widened. "Don't you dare–"

He grinned slyly at her. "Just think of it as part of your tactical training."

"Matth-EUW!"

Needless to say, Jasmine was grateful that Matthew's version of 'tactical training' had not been taught at her school.

~ - ~ - ~ - x - ~ - ~ - ~

"I can't believe this," Fiora sighed disapprovingly, shaking her head. "We should be preparing for tomorrow's battle, not prancing about like fools!"

"They look like they're having fun..." Florina said softly, smiling as she watched them dance.

"But we should be focusing on our making sure we're ready for tomorrow, don't you think?"

Farina rolled her eyes. "We've been preparing all day, Sis! I think everybody deserves time to have some fun."

"Then why don't you go join them?" Fiora retorted.

"Because I wanted to spend quality time with my sisters!" she huffed, her face flushing slightly. "Is that such a crime?"

"I think it's only because you haven't been asked to dance," Fiora muttered. Farina gaped at her.

"T-that's not true!"

"Is too. If you want to go dance so badly, why don't you go ask somebody yourself?"

"I told you that I don't care about that nonsense!"

"Every lass wants to be asked to dance, even ye, Farina."

The three sisters turned to see Dart standing before them, grinning. Farina scowled, her face flushing.

"Shut up, Dart," she growled. "What do you know?"

Dart shrugged. "I know enough. And as much as I'd love to prove it to ye, I actually came 'ere to ask Florina if she wanted to dance." He smiled sheepishly at the youngest sister, scratching the back of his bandana. "...You wanna dance, Florina?"

"Charming," muttered Farina. Dart sent her a glare.

Florina, however, appeared to find it charming indeed. Her face turned a bright shade of red and her eyes widened in shock. She opened her mouth to speak but she could not form the words to her answer.

Fiora turned sharply toward Dart, her eyes narrowed. "Florina's going to have to politely decline your offer."

Farina, Dart, and Florina all stared at her in surprise. Florina's mouth was open in shock, Farina narrowed her eyes, and Dart smirked slightly.

"I think the lass can speak for 'erself, Fiora," Dart replied smoothly.

Fiora shook her head. "Clearly she wants to decline, but she just doesn't want to hurt your feelings. So I'll just speak on her behalf."

"Fiora!" Farina said, aghast. "I can't believe you!"

Fiora frowned. "What?"

"You can't just _do that_!" she said, the anger making her voice rise. "You can't control our lives like that!"

Fiora's eyes were wide in shock. "Excuse me?! I don't control your lives!"

"You do so, and you know it!" Farina shouted, standing up. Florina also stood up, a hand outstretched towards each of her sisters, as if to stop them from attacking each other. Dart cleared his throat awkwardly, taking a few steps back. This was not a matter for him to get involved in.

"Fiora," Florina said, surprisingly calmly, "as much as I appreciate you looking out for me, this is not your decision to make."

"What-what do you mean?" Her eyes widened even more. This was so unlike Florina...

She sighed, turning fully toward her. "This is my life," she said softly, looking her in the eye. "I know you've always been looking out for me – and Farina – and I appreciate it. I really, truly do. But...I'm an adult now, and it's about time I start making my own decisions."

"I...I just want you to be happy, Florina," she whispered. Florina smiled, gently placing her hands upon her shoulders.

"I am happy, Sis." She glanced towards Dart, who had gone quite some distance away. "He makes me happy."

Fiora was quiet for some time, her eyes searching through Florina's. Then she slowly nodded. "...Alright." She smiled softly. "Alright." She shook her head. "I'm so sorry to the both of you." Farina said nothing, though her expression softened. "I just...I just wants best for you." She shrugged sheepihsly. "That's all."

"I know," Florina whispered. "I know."

Fiora smiled, gently tucking a lock of Florina's hair behind her ear. "It's just...so hard to believe that you've become a grown woman. You've always been my baby sister."

"And I always will be," Florina smiled, taking her hand. "No matter how old I get, I'll always be your baby sister."

Fiora's eyes glistened, and she embraced her youngest sister. Florina returned her embrace tightly, and she laughed in surprise when Farina joined in.

"Go on now," Fiora said, once they all released each other. She wiped the tears away from the corner of her eyes. Then fluffed Florina's hair, smiling genuinely. "He's waiting."

"Yeah," grinned Farina, "go and get your man!"

Florina laughed and blushed. Smiling, she waved her sisters goodbye as she made her way toward Dart. Fiora and Farina smiled after her.

"...She really is growing up, isn't she?" Fiora murmured, smiling softly as she watched the two, hand-in-hand, enter the crowd of dancers.

"Yeah," smiled Farina. "Hard to believe, huh? Our shy little Florina...growing up."

Fiora smiled, turning to face Farina. "I think she's not the only one who's grown up."

Farina turned to her, raising her eyebrows. "You complimenting me, Sis?"

"Guess I am." Laughing, she ruffled Farina's hair. Farina swatted her away, scowling.

"Well," she muttered, running her fingers through her hair to fix it, "Guess you're not so bad yourself." She nudged her, smiling affectionately. Fiora nudged her back gently, smiling. "Now," Farina said, lifting her head heavenward, "where's our fairytale ending?"

"I think our princes got lost," joked Fiora.

"Oh, no, not yours," Farina said, a grin forming on her lips as she nodded toward a figure heading their way. It was Heath, and he wore a determined look on his face.

Fiora's eyes widened. "You don't think–"

Farina grinned wider. "Oh, but I do."

"No way," Fiora muttered, though she didn't keep her eyes off Heath. He was getting close.

"Yes way," snickered Farina. Heath stopped before them now, smiling.

"Good evening," he greeted.

"She says yes," Farina said, shoving Fiora toward him. Fiora, surprised, lost her balance and stumbled into Heath. He laughed as he caught her.

"F-Farina!" Fiora shrieked, twirling around to glare at her. Her face was a bright red. "What was that for?!"

"I knew you'd make up some excuse to avoid dancing with him, since we both know you're terrible at it"– Fiora glared at her – "so I just decided to help out."

"You've got yourself a considerate sister," Heath chortled before Fiora could retort. Farina's grin widened.

"He's a keeper, Sis!"

"Farina!"

Farina snickered. "Hurry up, Heath, take her away already!"

"With pleasure," Heath grinned, gently taking Fiora's hand and pulling her away before she could have a chance to react. Farina snickered as she watched them walk off. She really was a great sister, wasn't she?

"But where's my knight in shining armor at...?" she muttered, suddenly feeling lonely as she realized that both of her sisters had found their prince charmings. It was her turn, gosh darnit!

"I'm not sure if my armor's so shiny anymore, but I suppose I could try polishing it up."

Raisning her eyebrows, she twirled around to find Kent smiling sheepishly at her. She raised her eyebrows, folding her arms across her chest.

"What took you so long?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You were waiting for me?"

She blushed slightly, looking the other way. "...Maybe."

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," he said, scratching the back of his head. "It took Sain quite a while to convince me to join in..." Farina didn't respond. Kent took a few steps forth, offering her his arm. "But perhaps I could make it up to you?"

Farina stared at him, and slowly she took the arm he held out toward her. Then she smirked, making eye contact with him.

"We'll see."

~ - ~ - ~ - x - ~ - ~ - ~

"Are you sure you're not up for another round, General?" Isadora laughed, trying to convince Marcus to stay for another dance. Marcus chuckled, shaking his head.

"This is about all the dancing I can take for one night. Thank you for the privilege, however, Isadora. I have enjoyed myself very much." Despite the fact that he was her superior, he bowed to her, out of common courtesy after a dance. Isadora bowed as well.

"It's been my honor."

He chortled. "You enjoy yourself now. Just don't stay up too late."

"Yes, sir," she smiled. Marcus walked off to his tent to get his sleep. Isadora smiled to herself, quite proud of the fact that she'd managed to convince her General to dance. He had been surprised at first and had declined, but after some persuasion, she had managed to convince him to stay a dance with her. It had been nice to see him loosening up for once.

She realized that Harken had not been within the dancing crowd, however. She was actually somewhat grateful for it. After some thought, she had realized that she no longer felt about Harken the way she once had. The betrayal, the lies...it had been too much for her. He had already broken her heart once; she would not allow him a second chance. Besides, she felt as if her heart had belonged to someone else now...

Hmm. Where was he, by the way?

She took steps back to observe the crowd, hoping to see a glimpse of him. She chuckled to herself whenever she found odd pairs dancing. Nino was currently dancing with a very happy-looking Merlinus (although now Canas was asking for a chance to dance with the girl), Nils was actually being pulled in by Rebecca (so currently there was no music), Serra was chattering away to a grimacing Erk as they danced (how she managed to convince the boy to dance was beyond Isadora), Lucius was dancing with Priscilla (did he keep glancing back at Serra, though?), and Sain was dancing with Jasmine.

But where was _he_?

"Why isn't the Dame Knight dancing with the others?"

Smiling to herself, she turned to face Legualt. "I could ask the same to you, Master Legault," she teased.

"I came over here in hopes of getting a lovely lady to dance with me."

She put a finger to her chin, pretending to think. "I wonder who that lucky lady could be."

"Well, actually, Dame Knight…" He bowed, extending his hand toward her. "I was hoping it would be you."

"Hmm…it is much you are asking of me, sir," she teased, as she often did around him. It was easy for her to feel herself around Legault. Much unlike Harken. She had always felt a little constricted around him, always worried she would say the wrong thing or act the wrong way…but it wasn't like that with Legault.

Legault sighed softly, straightening up. "I knew it was far-fetched for an old fool like me to have the honor to dance with such a lovely dame as yourself…" The smile slipped off Isadora's face. "Sorry for wasting your time." He made a move to leave.

"W-wait!" Isadora called out. He paused, glancing back at her over his shoulder. There was a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. Darn. She'd fallen for his trap. Of course Legault wouldn't act that way if he had seriously thought that he was being rejected. "I…suppose I could dance with you." She cleared her throat, attempting to maintain some of her dignity. "Just this once."

"My many thanks, milady." He bowed again. She extended her hand out toward him, and he took it and placed a gentle kiss on it. Her face flushed. "Shall we?" He smiled his most charming smile, gesturing toward the crowd. Isadora tried to keep herself composed, lifting her chin. She could still feel her face burning.

"O-of course," she murmured, and she stumbled her way towards the others, all the while Legault hid a smile.

~ - ~ - ~ - x - ~ - ~ - ~

"Insolent children," Vaida growled, folding her arms across her chest as she looked disdainfully at the dancing group before her. She heard an all-too familiar "Gwa ha haha!" of a laugh behind her. Her lips curling in disdain, she turned to see the walking teapot clamping his way toward her, a ridiculously huge grin on his red – why was it red? – face.

"Will it hurt you to smile from time to time and enjoy the little things in life, woman?" Wallace stopped beside her, still grinning that damned grin.

"And will it hurt you to ever wipe that sweat off your shiny bald head?" she retorted bitingly. "And why is your face so damn red? You look like a tomato!"

"It's because I was out dancing with milady Lyndis," he grinned, despite her insult. "It's a little hard to keep up with her, I must say." He chortled.

"For an old fool like you, maybe," Vaida sneered. "I'm sure anybody else can keep up with her."

He snorted. "Milady Lyndis is one of the most agile people I've ever met! Why, you're but a snail when compared to her!"

"A snail?!" she snarled. "I'm not that slow!"

"Then prove it!"

"And just how do you propose I go about doing that?"

He grinned widely, and, without speaking, extended his hand out toward her. She raised her eyebrows in shock. He couldn't possibly be...?

"You've got to be kidding me," she deadpanned. She stared disdainfully down at his hand.

"So you're going to admit that you're not nearly as agile as milady Lyndis?"

"Never!" she hissed.

"Then prove it!" he said again. There was a bit more devilishness to his grin.

She glared at him with the utmost hatred she could muster. Then she growled and grabbed his hand. "Fine, dammit, I'll dance with you! But just one dance! You hear me? One! Just to prove that you're wrong!"

"One dance?" he snorted. "You don't do just 'one dance' with Wallace!"

"Don't make me change my mind," she snarled.

"Aw, fine. We'll have _at least_ one dance." He winked at her.

"Oh, god," she grumbled, as they made their way towards the crowd. "I just know I'm gonna regret this."

"The only thing you're gonna regret," he grinned, "is that you didn't dance with me sooner."

And by the end of the night, Vaida realized that the crazy old Caelin knight had been right all along.

~ - ~ - ~ - x - ~ - ~ - ~

"Would you mind if I stole Lyn for a dance?"

Lyn and Wil paused in their dancing and turned to face Hector. Lyn's eyebrows rose in surprise and her mouth formed a perfect little 'o'. Wil grinned.

"No, not at all!" He turned toward Lyn (who was still staring at Hector as if he'd grown two heads). "It's been fun dancing with you, Lyn! I hope we have a chance to do it again sometime soon!"

Lyn, regaining her composure, smiled at him. "I'd love to, Wil. Thank you."

"See you!" He grinned and waved goodbye as he went off in search for another dance partner. Lyn slowly turned back toward Hector. She was eying him unsurely.

Hector sighed and extended his hand out toward her. "Well, we don't have all night."

Lyn was still too shocked to glare at him. "_You_ want to dance with _me_?" she said incredulously.

Hector huffed indignantly. "Yeah, I asked, didn't I?! Why should that be so surprising?!"

Lyn raised an eyebrow. "Because you're Hector, that's why."

He sighed again and rolled his eyes. "Are you going to dance with me or not?"

"Alright, alright!" She took the hand he held out toward her. "Charming, aren't you?" she grumbled.

"I like to think so," Hector grinned, placing a hand upon the small of her waist as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Lyn rolled her eyes at him as they began to ballroom dance their way around the others. Hector was surprisingly good; he moved through the grass with a practiced fluidity.

"You can dance?" Lyn said incredulously. She wasn't sure if she should've been more surprised that he asked her to dance or by the fact that he was actually good at it.

Hector scowled. "Again, why does this come as a surprise?"

She laughed. "Oh, don't act so sweet and innocent!" She rolled her eyes at the eyebrow he raised questioningly at her. "C'mon, Hector! You're not exactly the typical image of a noble gentleman."

"And you're not exactly the typical image of a noble lady," he retorted, twirling her around and pulling her back to him. "Yet you somehow manage to dance better than any other noble I've danced with."

Lyn arched an eyebrow high at him, completely ignoring the compliment. "And just how many other ladies have you danced with?"

"A lot." She bristled visibly, and he arched an eyebrow high, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Why does it matter?"

Lyn's cheeks reddened and she looked away. "It doesn't! I just…felt bad for them! That's all!" She paused, glancing back at him. "…Just how many is a lot?" She tried to act nonchalant, but she knew her voice and expression gave her away.

Hector laughed. "You never came off as the jealous type."

She flushed red. "I-I'm not jealous!" she said loudly. Losing concentration of the dance, she stumbled over her feet and fell against Hector's chest.

"Sure seems like it," he chuckled throatily. Lyn felt her face turn hotter, and hastily she pulled away from him. "It's kinda cute, though."

"…Shut up," she grumbled out of embarrassment, ducking her head. He laughed softly, gently pulling her back to him.

"That's all you have to say?" he teased, swaying slowly with her. "I think I might like this embarrassed Lyn."

"Too bad you won't see much more of her."

"I'm not too sure about that." He grinned.

"…What do you mean?" she asked slowly. He grinned wider, pulling her in closer. He leaned down to whisper in her ear,

"Let's just say I plan on seeing you very, very often." His voice was softer than Lyn had ever heard it.

She flushed a deep scarlet. She pulled away from him, and then cursed herself for doing so; he could clearly see her blush now.

"Just shut up and dance," she muttered. He chortled.

"Yes, milady."

Lyn didn't respond, but as they danced, she knew she was planning to see a lot more of Hector in the future too.

~ - ~ - ~ - x - ~ - ~ - ~

Raven weaved his way through the crowd, trying not to bump into anybody. Although he certainly hadn't been expecting the army to be in a full-out dance party when he'd returned, it had barely even surprised him. He knew that his comrades tended to do strange things.

It was difficult finding Jasmine through this mess, though. He realized that she might not even be dancing; she might've been sleeping or strategizing instead. Just as he was about to head toward her tent, he heard her distinct laughter from closeby. Turning around, he headed toward the direction in which he'd heard the laugh, and a moment later he saw the bouncing of brown curls. Jasmine was spinning around, and when she came to a stop, Legault had to grab her so she didn't fall over. She laughed as he grinned and said something, no doubt about her balancing skills (or lack thereof).

Raven simply watched them for a moment, smiling to himself. She seemed like she was having so much, dancing and laughing and chatting away. Her cheeks were flushed slightly, her eyes sparkled, and the smile never left her lips.

It was then that Raven realized that _he_ should've been making her laugh like that. Feeling a twinge of jealousy toward Legault, he straightened himself up and headed toward the two. He tapped Legault on the shoulder, and he glanced over his shoulder to look at him. Legault's eyebrows rose in surprise, and when Jasmine caught sight of Raven, her expression darkened considerably.

"Raven," Legault greeted, coming to a halt. Jasmine tightened her grip on Legault's hand, leaning in closer to him when he tried to pull away. Legault glanced back at her in surprise, but her eyes were focused on Raven's. "What can I do for you?" He squeezed Jasmine's shoulder reassuringly.

"I was wondering if I could steal your dance partner from you."

"I don't know," Legault sighed, placing a finger to his chin. "You'll have to ask her." When he glanced back at Jasmine, Raven realized just how close the two were. Why, their heads were practically touching! He almost had an urge to pull them apart from each other, but he knew that would not help getting back on Jasmine's good side.

"Well, that depends," she said tersely, lifting her chin. Her jaw was tight. "Will you say that my dance moves are all wrong?"

He could practically hear her thinking, _Just like you thought my strategy for tomorrow was all wrong?_

"No," he said softly, "of course not." He paused, smiling slightly. "But I might tease you about them." Jasmine did not smile back.

"…Oh, c'mon," Legault said after a long moment of silence. "Cut the guy some slack and just give him a chance. He's trying, y'know."

Jasmine sent a glare in Legault's direction. "Stay out of this, Legault."

"Well, I _am_ in the middle of it. Literally."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and drew apart from him (finally!). "Happy?"

"Not exactly." He winked.

"I'll never understand you."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Raven cleared his throat. The two looked back at him, and Jasmine sighed when he gave her his best puppy dog eyes. "Fine, let's just get this over with."

Raven smiled widely, stepping toward her and extending his hand. Jasmine took it but refused to meet his eyes.

"You two have fun," Legault cooed after them, waving. "Take good care of my Scar-buddy! If you don't, I'll have your head!"

"I'll have your head for standing so close to her," Raven muttered underneath his breath. Jasmine raised her eyebrows at him.

"What'd you say?"

Raven didn't respond immediately, pulling her in so close and so suddenly that she let out a gasp of surprise. "I said," he whispered, leaning down toward her ear, "that I didn't like how close you were to Legault."

Jasmine pulled away from him, her eyebrows furrowed. "For God's sake, Raven, we were dancing! Of course we'd be close to each other!"

"I mean after you stopped," he said impatiently. He twirled her around before pulling her back towards him, but this time he didn't pull her as close, knowing she would get irritated if he did. "You were practically entwined with him!"

"Wow," she muttered angrily. She stopped abruptly, pulling away from him. "You're acting like a complete pig today."

"...I'm sorry," he sighed, putting a hand to his eyes and shaking his head. She was right. What was wrong with him?! "I'm sorry. It's just...so much has been going on today, and I...I don't know what's wrong with me." He smiled bitterly. Jasmine said nothing. "I'm just worried about you, alright? I know, I know," he said before she could respond, "I know I don't need to be worried. I trust that they'll take care of you tomorrow, and I know you'll take care of yourself...but I can't help but worry, Jasmine."

"Stop worrying," she murmured, softening considerably. She stepped toward him. "Believe in me, Raven, and I promise that I will return to you."

"...You promise?" he whispered, running a finger across her cheek. He suddenly felt like a child, begging for reassurance.

"I promise."

He embraced her, and she returned the embrace, squeezing him tight. "Come back to me," he whispered, squeezing her tighter. "Come back to me tomorrow."

"I will," she vowed. "You wait and see, Raven. You wait and see."

* * *

><p>The final battle against Nergal. A battle to stop the dragons from returning. A battle to save humanity.<p>

That battle was finally here.

"So," Hector said to his army, standing before them all, "this is it, everybody. This is it."

"We wanted to thank you all," Eliwood said, looking from face to face, thinking of how many battles and bloodshed each of them had seen, "for sticking through with us on this long journey. It is because of every single person in this army that we've made it so far. We couldn't have done it without you."

"Although we'll all take different paths after this," Lyn spoke, "there will always be an unbreakable bond between us all. You are my comrades – each and every single one of you – and you shall always be my comrades." She smiled. "My family."

"It has been my greatest honor and pleasure working with you all," Jasmine smiled. "You are all incredible people, who are capable of just so much. You are each significant. Always remember that."

"It's been a fun ride, guys," Hector grinned, shouldering Armads. "Thanks for giving us the honor of being there with us."

"Thank you," the four of them said simultaneously, and they all bowed. The army clapped and cheered for them, multiple comrades shouting "thank you" right back at them. The four of them straightened up and grinned at one another. Then they took steps forth, in the direction of the Dragon's Gate, and hastily their comrades-in-arms assembled themselves. The cheering and clapping continued as those who would not be joining in battle wished each other the best.

"Here we go," Lyn smiled.

"Are you guys ready for this?" Eliwood grinned.

Hector snorted. "Is that even a question?"

Jasmine laughed. Her eyes sparkled as she looked from one lord to the next. "Let's do this."

Grinning at one another, they headed off into the unknown, certain that victory awaited them.


	28. Epilogue

He stood in the doorway, arms folded across his chest, his mouth set in a contemplative frown. His dark red hair and bright blue eyes were a pleasant contrast to the white walls around him.

His father paused in his packing, turning toward him. "Are you just going to stand there doing nothing or are you going to help us?"

He sighed, straightening up. "Sorry, Father. I just..." He hesitated, biting his lip. Considering his age, his following statement would be rather embarrassing to admit. But his parents had raised him to be an honest man, and that included telling the truth about his feelings. "I think this is unfair," he deadpanned. "You deserved more than a one-night notice!"

His mother laughed softly. She spoke while folding up a map. "I would've liked an earlier notice, yes, but I wouldn't exactly call it unfair. It's our job, getting called in for duty." Her blue eyes twinkled humorously. "I think you're just jealous that you weren't called in for duty yourself."

He pursed his lips. "That's not true." His mother laughed again, shaking her head. "Really, Mother, I'm not _jealous_! As a matter of a fact, I find it an honor to stay behind and protect my country! It's just...I'm..." He trailed off, sighing. "I'm worried about you two, alright?"

His parents exchanged looks. His mother slowly set the map down and turned fully towards him. "Why is that? Your father and I have plenty of experience on the battlefield. We're always out there."

"But those are _bandits_ you deal with, Mother," her son persisted. How could she not see where he was coming from? "And you're not handling some measly bandits tomorrow; you're handling the Bernese army!"

His father let out something between a snort and a laugh. "Son, the Bernese are grains of dust compared to what your mother and I have seen throughout all our years."

He knew instantly that his father was referring to their battle against the dragons. He'd heard of their stories ever since he was a child. "But that was twenty years ago!"

His mother arched an eyebrow high. She placed her hands against her hips. "And just what is your point, Nathan?" Nathan's father snickered like a child. "And just what are you laughing at, Raven?"

Raven cleared his throat. "Erm, nothing, Jasmine, dear."

As amusing as it was to see his father get in trouble, Nathan knew he was in trouble when his mother referred to him as Nathan instead of Nate. "I-I'm just saying you two don't have the same...physique...you had when you were younger."

Raven unsheathed his longsword. "You've yet to best me, boy, but if you think you can, I'll give you the opportunity to prove it."

"Uh...maybe some other time," he mumbled, tugging on the collar of his shirt, sweat beading up on his forehead. His mother giggled softly. "You and Mother still have quite a lot of packing to do, don't you?"

"It can wait." He took a step forth, tightening his grip on the sword.

"Oh, alright!" Nate huffed, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! You're both in terrific shape! It's just...it's just...I..." He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. "I can't help but worry." It would be the first time his parents would truly be a long distance away from him, and it frightened him that he would not be there, battling by their sides.

"...Y'know," his father said, sheathing his sword and stepping toward him, "I was just like you, so many, many years ago. When I found out your mother was going into battle without me, I'd just about lost my mind." He glanced towards her, but she said nothing. "I feared that something terrible would happen to her, and I wouldn't be there to stop it. And I was so stubbornly stuck to that idea that it took none other than Lord Hector himself to snap me out of it." Nate raised his eyebrows in surprise. "He said to me: 'Worrying won't solve anything. You're just going to have trust that we will take care of her. You're going to have to believe that she is capable of herself. You're going to have to let go of your fears and simply _trust_ us.'" Raven paused. "I remember his words, word for word. They're words that I still live by today, and you should learn to live by them as well."

"...You never told me that," Jasmine muttered softly, stepping toward Raven. He smirked slightly.

"Do you really think I would tell you something like that? It would ruin my reputation!"

She laughed softly and wrapped an arm around his waist, kissing him softly on the cheek. "Well, _I_ would've found it rather endearing."

"You always did have the strangest taste."

She glared up at him, and he laughed. Nathan was silent, though he did smile slightly at the way they bantered.

Raven cleared his throat, returning his attention to his son. "Now, unless there's anything else you need or would like to say, your mother and I still need to finish packing, and you need to get to sleep."

Nathan pouted childishly. "Can't I help you two pack?"

Raven shook his head firmly. "You still have to get up bright and early for tomorrow's training, don't you? Your mother and I'll go say a quick goodbye before we head off."

"But–"

"No but's! Go on now!"

He puffed out his cheeks the way he always did whenever he got in trouble. "Fine," he muttered. "Good night, Father. Good night, Mother." He paused before heading out the door. "...Thank you, Father, for those words. I...I do believe in the two of you. I think you'll do a wonderful job in Lycia."

Raven nodded at him. Jasmine smiled softly.

"Thank you, darling. We'll be back before you know it," she reassured. Nate smiled and nodded before exiting the room, closing the door behind him.

"...So the day's finally come," Jasmine sighed gravely, as soon as Nate was out of earshot. She slumped down on the edge of the bed, her eyes becoming distant. "I'd always hoped that it wouldn't come to this...it's unfortunate that Lord Athos's prophecy had to come true."

Raven smiled softly, sitting down beside her and taking her hand. "But didn't he also say that Lycia brings hope?" Her eyes flickered. "We'll beat those Bernese, you'll see."

She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I hope so. I really hope so."

He kissed the top of her head. "Woman, you've survived the breath of a fire dragon. Surely you can handle some mere Bernese?"

She laughed, raising her face to look at him. "And not to mention the fact that I've survived nearly twenty years of marriage with you." She giggled harder at the glare he sent her.

"I think we _both_ deserve to be applauded for that," he grumbled.

"Not yet," she grinned, shaking her head. "After another twenty years. Then we can congratulate ourselves." She squeezed his hand, smiling up at him. "Are you ready to take another adventure with me, love?"

Raven smiled at her words, fragments of memories flying through his head.

_She stood there, squished in between her comrades as they cheered and clapped and sobbed, swaying slightly in place. Her clothes were tattered (as a matter of a fact, they appeared to be scorched) and her face was covered in blood and grime, but she was grinning, grinning wider than he'd ever seen her grin. He ran to her, and she practically screamed in joy as she flung herself onto him, nearly toppling him over. He just laughed and held her tight, burrowing his face into her bloody cloak._

_"You did it," he laughed, "You did it!"_

__She kissed him hard. "Don't act so surprised. I told you I'd come back, didn't I?" __

That had been the end of their first adventure with one another. And although it had been an long and grueling adventure, it had only been their first of very many to come.

_He swept her off her feet bridal style, just like a bride ought to be carried, smirking when she squealed in surprise. As he carried her down the steps, their family and friends cheered and clapped behind them. He turned towards them before he reached the carriage. Many familiar faces greeted him – Rebecca and Wil were waving and grinning like fools, Lady Lyndis and Lady Ninian, standing in for both themselves and their husbands, waved them off (and it appeared that Lyndis was tearing up) – but there were a few that stood out. _Priscilla waved through her tears, while Sain had an arm around her. Lucius was also crying through his smile, and he nodded at Raven when the two met eyes. __

__And then there was Mark, hiding near the back. He was smirking that irritating smirk, one that said 'I told you so'. The only thing Raven could do was laugh, since, indeed, Mark had been right all along. Jasmine shouted goodbye before they settled themselves into their carriage and towards their future.__

Marriage had indeed been an adventure in itself. It had been a crazy and emotional ride, which had been taken to the next level when their son was born.

_"Oh, how could you have let this happen?!" Jasmine scrubbed the three year old's head with shampoo, her mouth set in a deep scowl._

_Raven gaped. "How could I have known that a skunk was going to spray him?!"_

_"If you'd been watching him more carefully, you would've noticed it approaching!"_

_"I WAS watching him! The thing came out of nowhere!"_

_"Daddy..."_

_"What, you expect me to believe that it came out of thin air? I thought you were a trained soldier, Raven; you should've seen it coming!"_

_"Momma..."_

_"It was dark out! I–"_  
><em>_

_"Stop fighting!" Little Nathan slammed his hands against the bath water, making it spray out. Jasmine yelped as the water hit her, but Raven merely blinked when the water reached him. There was a brief moment of silence. And then Jasmine began to laugh._

_"Raven..." She giggled. "Your hair is soaked!"_

_He cracked a smile, taking a lock of her hair. "I could say the same for yours!"_

_And they didn't argue for the rest of the night._

Raising a child certainly had been a challenge, but knowing that they had each other had made it all worthwhile.

And now, here they were, so many years later, still ready to take on the world. Jasmine stared up at him expectantly, awaiting his answer.

"With you," he smiled, leaning down to kiss her, "everyday is an adventure."

* * *

><p><em>Aww, an adorable ending, right? I gush every time. Now before I get into all the sentimental stuff, I feel like I need to explain the Epilogue better. So here it is:<em>

_So Raven and Jasmine moved to Etruria after they got married (they get married pretty early, like a few months to a year after the battle ended) because of the job opportunities for Jasmine (basically I didn't want her working in Lycia, and certainly not Bern, so basically Etruria was the only one left :P) and she becomes the Tactician for the Etrurian army. Raven decides to enlist as a soldier and eventually makes his way through the ranks to become a pretty important General. They have a kid about two years into their marriage (I wanted him to be a few years older than Roy) and their son, Nathan, is also a soldier in the army._

_In this timeline for the Epilogue, it's twenty years after FE7 and the events of FE6 are taking place. Raven and Jasmine are heading off with Cecilia and Perceval (I haven't actually played FE6 so this is based off Wikia) to save Ostia, which has become overrun while Roy's been gone. Yeah, I know that's a pretty long explanation that I found very difficult to transition into the Epilogue itself, so here it is now. _

_So here comes the sentimental part of my A/N. Honestly, I don't think it's really hit me yet that I'm actually done with this story. It's crazy. I worked on this thing for three years, people, three years! I just can't believe it's over. It'll probably really hit me tomorrow and I'm gonna end up getting sad :/ And, to top it off, t__his might just be my very last FE fic - not sure, though, so don't quote me on that! It's just that, well, I started writing on this site as a freshman in high school and now, as a freshman in college, I don't has much free time as I once had. So I don't think I'll really have much time to work on fanfics (although that is a problem when it comes to my HP story that I'm not even half-way through...ahem, sorry, getting off topic). Maybe, if I'm really feeling it, I'll just publish a one-shot or two...but again, not sure. _

__Thank you all for coming on this wonderful journey with me. I've grown a lot as a writer over these years, and it has both to do with all the practice I've had, and, of course, my lovely reviewers. Your feedback and critique has helped me become a better writer, so thank you so very much for supporting and helping me improve my story. This has been amazing to journey with all of you and with my characters...really, it's been a blast. Maybe I'll see you all again someday, but, for now, it's farewell.__

__~dogsrock101__


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